How Long Has It Been?
by ninmenju-shin
Summary: With the new Watchtower hovering over the Earth, the Titans were no longer needed, and went their seperate ways. Now, a gettogether after twenty years could prove to change their lives, more than they are changed now. POSTPONED
1. Magic Hour

**How Long Has It Been?**

Summary: With the new watchtower hovering over Earth, the Titans were no longer needed, and were officially disbanded. Now, a little get-together after twenty years could prove to be a major conflict. When all of the original members of the Justice League go missing...

Pairings: Beast Boy and Raven, Robin and Starfire, Cyborg and maybe Jinx (They're having some relationship problems).

Okay, I know what you're thinking. "Oh great, another disbanded and brought back together fic." But I have noticed that most future fics don't have my favorite couple: BB&Rae, so for all of the BB&Rae shippers out there, this future-fic is for you! Also, it's not just another future-fic, my stories have a way of branching out and making their own category, this is an original work.

The info: Okay, I don't want to give too much away, but Raven has killed her father, allowing her her emotions. Robin is NOT Nightwing. Nightwing is gay, and his voice just sounds like Robin, trying to sound older. Cyborg and Jinx have been dating, but got into a fight and aren't seeing each other for awhile. And none of the Titans have been keeping in-touch. They had to look each other up in the phone book for god's sake! This will all be included later, but, just so you know if you want to read it.

So, my name's Ninmenju-shin, and I will be your author today. Most things about me, if you haven't read my other fics, will come across and be noticed. (It's hard not to notice the way I do things) so, I won't waste your time, and mine, on introductions.

Disclaimer: I do not write disclaimers, and this is probably the only time you will ever see that vile word in my fic. You know I don't own Teen Titans, right? If I did, do you think I would writing them here?

I'll let you read the story now....

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It was a regular night in Jump city, street lights illuminated the deserted highways, the moon hovered above the tall buildings, and everything seemed to stand still but the trees, swaying in the cool night breeze. This was the city's magic hour. The brief expanse of time from 2:30 to 3:30 am, where there were no cars on the road, no streetlights illuminating the side walks, and every person in the city was awaiting the morning. And as 4:00 loomed nearer, people would step out onto their stoops and pick up their morning paper, breathing in the fresh morning air. And in a matter of minutes, the city would be bustling and busy, for the next twenty-three hours.

Small children would be walking with their parents, either too young to go to school or already having been let out, and look out over the city's busy harbor at the strange tower that loomed on the horizon. They would ask them about the T-shaped tower, ask them what it was for, or who lived there, and would receive a multitude of different answers.

Some parents would tell them that it was just an old building, others would tell them that they were too young to understand, and some even told them unbelievable tales that I won't even go into. But still, some parents told the truth. They told their children about the tall tower, and remember the brave heroes that once resided in it. Talk about the bravery and strength of the long-forgotten heroes and heroines, how their parents or grandparents or even they themselves had been rescued by the mighty teens, and then they would leave it at that, and think about it later, if they did at all.

No one in the city really remembered their lost saviors, the brave, the bold, the forgotten; the Teen Titans.

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The Teen Titans had been an organized and useful addition to the crime-ridden streets of Jump city. But they had been disbanded long ago. With the Justice League's new watchtower and surplus members watching over the world, the city got tired of paying for heroes that they could receive for free. The citizens got a huge tax cut, and the Titans just got cut.

They went their separate ways, even though they were all invited to join the Justice League. The Titans had a sense of neglect. The city hadn't wanted them anymore, they wouldn't join the Justice League just so they could protect the same people that had gotten rid of them. The Titans also didn't want to join a huge group, they were used their little family, and didn't want to join a new one just so they could stay together. So all that was left in the tower was a few rooms, some left-over tofu, and the ever-faithful Cyborg.

Cyborg had gotten a good deal on staying in the tower. The Titans tower had been made into a national landmark, and Cyborg could stay there for free, if he kept it looking nice. Cy was in charge of maintaining the lawn, doing any needed repairs, and basically keeping the place looking good. He didn't know what happened to the other Titans, and really didn't need to find out. After all, his life was fine without them. At least, most of the time.

"I can't believe you!" A feminine voice yelled through the tower.

"What did I do this time?" A distinctly male, African American yelled back.

"What you always do!"

"You don't even know what I did!"

"Of course I do!"

"You do not! You just argue about nothing until you can't remember what you were arguing about, and then you deny it!"

"Do you like your big TV?"

"No, don't hurt the poor TV!"

"Then apologize!"

"What did I do?"

"Is it that hard for you to apologize?"

"I would be glad to apologize, but I don't know what the hell I did!"

"Yes you do!"

"Okay, Jinx, I'm terribly sorry for whatever stupid thing I did _again_, it was my fuckin' fault, so forgive me for doing whatever it was I did!"

"That's it Cyborg, I've had it with you, and your stupid tower. Why don't you go find your stupid team, because otherwise, you won't have anyone to talk to but your stupid self!"

"Fine, I'll go find them, and tell them all about how stupid you are!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Goodbye, and I hope you malfunction while I'm gone!"

"Just leave, you stupid bitch!"

"Have fun looking for a new TV!"

"Nooooo!"

The television shined an eerie purple for a few seconds, before exploding into a million pieces around him. It was probably the twentieth fight they had had in the last month, but this one seemed final. Jinx had been the only human interaction Cyborg had had since the Titans had split up, and being with the same person for twenty years really wears down your nerves. But now she was gone, gone forever, or until she came back, if she ever did.

"Now what am I gonna do?" Cyborg said, sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

Cyborg held his right hand in front of his face, and counted his options on his fingers. "I could look for a TV, find Jinx, get drunk, or, hmmmm, I could have sworn I had more options then that!"

Cyborg decided to walk around the tower, maybe that would clear his head. So he walked into the hallway, heading for the roof. Cyborg remembered when his life hadn't been such a wreck, when his biggest problems were what kind of pizza to get, when he was always surrounded by friends. He walked by each door on his way to the top of his empty home, Starfire, Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, they were all gone, and so was Jinx. The realization hit him before he was even at the stairs. He was alone.

"Maybe it's time for a reunion," he said to the hallway as he rushed back to the living room, "It would be great! I can't wait to see how everyone's been doing! Maybe we could have a bar-B-Q!"

Cyborg grabbed the phone book, starting in the B's, until he realized something.

"Beast Boy wouldn't be in the phonebook, you idiot! Beast Boy wasn't even his real name!" He yelled to himself. "I don't remember if he even told me what his real name was, some friend. What about Star? No, she's probably on another planet, and I think her name is something like, Komy- Komma- something alien. What about Robin? No, I'm not sure what his real name was either. Was Raven Raven's real name? Geez, how can friends not even tell each other their real names?!"

"Well, that idea's a blow. Maybe I'll read the paper." He said, heading towards the door in defeat. "Wait, do we even get mail? Hmmmm."

Then it hit him, like a ton of bricks. "I haven't gotten the mail in twenty years!"

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Cyborg came back ten minutes later, pushing a wheelbarrow full of mail in front of him. How could someone completely forget about their mail for twenty years? Paying bills online really makes you forget about the old ways.

"Well, this oughtta keep me entertained for awhile." He said with a sigh, sitting down on the couch and opening a letter.

The letter was very fancy looking. The print was indented and a dark silver in color. He had to adjust the light to read it. Then he read it again, and again, and again until it finally sunk in. His heart gave a leap of hope.

"Well, hot damn for them!" he shouted, picking up the phone book and searching again, aided by his new clue.

Dear Victor Stone, aka Cyborg,

You are cordially invited to attend a wedding, on April 3rd, 2016

For

Ms. Raven Roth (Raven)

And

Mr. Garfield Logan (Beast Boy)

R.S.V.P. at.......

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Yay! First chapter up, next one will be up.....later.

Review and be nice!

If you don't like Raven and Beast Boy together, then I HIGHLY suggest you don't read the next chapter. (Tee hee, I'm so evil)

I did research, and those are their real names. Poor BB, going through life with such a loser name! We should all take a moment of silence for him.

(Stops talking) (Looks at you angrily) I said SILENT dammit! (Blasts you with plasma cannon)


	2. A Friend On The Phone

Wow, people actually reviewed! I just love feedback! (Makes happy squeals)

**MOOgoestheCHICKEN: **Yippee! You came! I know I said I would wait awhile, but that would be punishing me more than you. For all the complaining I do, I know I could never stop writing. Wow! 700 pages! That's more than I've read in.... wow, I actually COULD count that on my fingers. So, awesome for your new-found intelligence! I hope you don't get busted by your mom....if she kicks you out of the house, you could come stay with me! But you would have to sleep on the couch, wait, that's where Jax sleeps.... never mind.

**Nevermore Forevermore: **So what if I am trigger-happy? Until the government finds out and takes me away, it really doesn't matter. Thankies lots for the review! And BB commands your respect! Do not laugh at him!

**ThessalyD: **You must not read many BB&Rae fics then... Of course they would get married! Don't you think BB would grow up eventually? And when he finally did, Raven would be all over him?! So, that's how it happened. Thanks for the review!

**Eilian Rhoss: **Thanks!

**Jos D: **She wasn't living with Cy! She was just at the tower, y'know, to say hi, and they got in another fight.

**Carrot The LuvMachine: **Yay! Another member of the faith! You and myself are kindred spirits my friend! Join a club or a forum or two. Spread the highly misunderstood love! About the kids, I don't want to spoil it, (Like that didn't just give it away...) and Cyborg is so high-tech, he probably forgot mail even existed! I, myself, prefer to pay bills online.

**VashTheStampede7123: **Hey, good to see you again! Thanks for the review, and I hope you like the rest of the fic!

Okay, I think that's everyone. I want to make it clear that the story may not be like what I said in chapter 1, with the JL missing. My fanfictions seem to go in totally different directions. The last fic I wrote started out as one of the titans being a werewolf, and once the story was over, it was a trek across the galaxy! So, just try to follow the plot, and I apologize in advance.

Okay, the timeline for the story is as follows: Titans disband-2008, BB&Rae get hitched-2016, now-2028. Each of the Titans are around the age of 38.

Time for the not-so-long-awaited chapter, behold, Chapter 2! (Loaded with soybeany goodness!)

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RING-RING-RING-RING...SLAM!!!!..RING-RING-RING

"Mmmm...just five more minutes?"

"I think it's the phone."

"Who would call at five in the morning?"

"Any Jackass at the office."

"Could you get it?"

RING-RING-Ri-

"It stopped."

"I guess Darren got it."

"Good for him."

"There's a friend on the phone!"

"Why did we ever teach him how to use the phone?"

"I'll go get it."

"Thanks."

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The phone rang multiple times before Cyborg got an answer, and he was worried that they might have moved or changed their phone number. But, everything was worth a try, especially his best friends.

"Hello, Logan residence." A boy's voice sounded over the phone. It was them!

"Hello, is, let me check..... Garfield Logan there?" he asked, holding his breath with anticipation.

"Who may I ask is calling." He asked, obviously bored and tired. He added, "At five in the morning."

"Oh, just an old friend." Cyborg answered, slapping himself for calling so early.

"Okay, hold on." He said, shuffling noises came from the other end of the phone. Cyborg could hear him yell, "There's a friend on the phone!"

"Gar can't come to the phone right now, this is Raven." The familiar voice came from the phone a few seconds later, also obviously tired.

"Hey, Raven!" he shouted happily, letting out the breath he had been holding.

"Um hello...friend. I'm sorry, who is this?" She asked suspiciously.

"It's me, Cy! Long time, no see. How have you and BB been?" He said, happiness still clogging his voice.

"Oh, hey Cyborg. Look, it's early, could you call back later, like, when the world is awake?" she asked.

"Sure, how about around nine?" He said, not against postponing the reunion.

"Bye." then the dial tone rang. She must have been more tired than he thought.

Cyborg walked over to the sofa, his head swimming with more questions than answers. Who was the kid that had answered the phone? And what had they been doing lately? And what did they do for a living? Cyborg fell asleep shortly after the third question. After all, it was five in the morning.

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"Who was on the phone?" Beast Boy asked, half awake from his place on the bed.

"Cyborg." Raven answered, getting back into bed.

"That's nice." He said drowsily, putting his head down on the soft pillow.

A few seconds passed, the only sound being the deep breathing that sleep made one emit, and a slight snore from the man once known as Beast Boy. They lay there, going back to sleep, but in a few seconds, Gar's head shot up.

"Cyborg!?"

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Cyborg was woken by a loud knocking at the front door. He ran up to it in an instant. Any visitor to Titans Tower was rare and greatly appreciated. And because of his.... cyborgness, he wasn't drowsy at all.

Cyborg opened the door and stood in the doorway, looking at the trio outside the tower. Raven, easily recognizable by her purple hair, had gotten taller and, if possible, even more beautiful than the last time he had seen her. (Twenty years will change a girl...) Beast Boy stood, tall and masculine, at about 6'7 a full head over Raven. His green hair fluttered in the breeze, framed by his elfish ears.

"You guys are friends with a robot!?" The young boy questioned, pointing at Cyborg's hulking form.

They had a kid with them. He looked to be about ten or eleven, and stood at about 5'2. He seemed tall for his age, tall and muscled, like he worked out. His hair was deep purple, shiny and gelled in traditional Robin-fashion. His eyes stood out from his tan skin, a deep emerald color. In fact, both Raven and Beast Boy had tanned skin. Wasn't Beast Boy's skin green?

"Dude! What happened t-"Cyborg started, confused by his friends sudden new skin tone.

"We'll explain everything, but, could we come in first?" Beast Boy asked, letting himself in.

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Soon, all four of them were seated in the living room, which had been cleaned so that pieces of TV didn't litter the floor. Cyborg bombarded them with questions while the boy sat quietly, taking a sudden interest in his shoes.

"What's up with your skin?" Cyborg asked.

"We moved to Beach-side property, so-"Raven began.

"Not you, BB!" Cyborg yelled, pointing at his once-green friend.

"Oh, um, image inducer." He answered, pressing a button on his watch. Soon his skin faded back to its original green, no one in the room even flinched.

"Who's the kid?" he asked. The boys head shot up when he was mentioned, but he returned his focus to his Nikes.

"That's Darren." Beast boy said proudly, standing up and walking over to the boy. "Go ahead, show Cy your muscles!"

"Do you have to do that every time we meet someone?" Raven asked, obviously laughing. Darren's face grew red.

""He's pretty tall for his age." Cyborg said, happy with the way the conversation was going. He flexed his own muscles in comparison, but Darren's could still compare.

"God knows he didn't get it from me!" Gar replied, laughing and letting Darren sit down.

"What? You mean, He's yours?" Cyborg asked, shooting back up from the couch.

"No, we found him in a field, like superman!" Beast Boy said sarcastically. "Geez Cy, maybe if you had shown up at the wedding, we could have kept in touch. We keep in touch with Robin and Star."

"I'm sorry, but I haven't checked my mail in the last twenty years." He said humbly, motioning to the huge pile of mail on the coffee table.

"That's hilarious!" Darren shouted, finding some courage to speak up.

And the tower was filled with insane laughter as the friends caught up. It was the happiest Cyborg had been in a long time, with all of his friends laughing and joking. And, for a few seconds, he thought he might have gone back in time.

"So, do you have Robin and Star's number?" Cyborg asked, running out of discussion topics.

"Number? Cy, they aren't married." Raven said, walking out of the kitchen with three millers and a soda. (It's Miller time!)

"They're not?" He said, confused.

"But they're planning to, and maybe you can bother to show up at their wedding." Beast Boy replied, taking one of the Millers from Raven.

"Consider me R.S.V.P'ed." he said cheerily, grabbing a Miller. They talked well into the night, and the early morning, and Cyborg could have sworn he heard Star giggling beside him, but he was very VERY drunk.

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It's not much, but I updated! This might just be a transition fic, between my really good fics. Don't expect this to be very good.

Have fun reviewing! Buh-bye now!


	3. Family History

Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I had company and we went out for dinner. We went to this wings place we go to often, and we got a wing platter, and I set a new record!! 40 wings in ten minutes!! MUA-HA-HA-HA!!! No wing is safe from the jaws of N/M Shin!!!!

I also had three beers, Fosters to be exact, but that wasn't anywhere near a record when you're with my friends...

Jax came too (Okay, not in real life.) but he never was a big drinker. I guess I just didn't raise him right... anyway.

This chapter will revolve around Darren, because no one knows him very well right now. If I'm gonna make up a character, he's gonna have background, and lots of it!!!

And, this chapter might not be up until early on Saturday, (A little late for that info, if it is) because I'm going over to my dad's. He thinks we just don't spend enough time together, so we're gonna watch Terminator 3. It's not that I don't like my dad, it's just, my dad's not a very good movie watcher. He's the kind of guy you want to yell at in movie theatres, who completely picks apart the movie until no one can enjoy it. I just hope the movie's good.

Jax: Maybe, if you took a little duck tape...

N/M Shin: Jax!! He's my dad!! I'm not gonna do that!!

Jax: I'm just saying.....

N/M Shin: Oh, for those of you who don't know, Jax is one of my muses. Jax is a male werewolf that lives with me. He's kind of like a brother, only, we never fight, and he eats kibbles and bits...

Jax: Speaking of which....

N/M Shin: I'll feed you after I write the chapter!! C'mon, you had, like, twenty wings last night, along with your usual meal!!! How could you possibly be hungry?!! Plus, I know you ate my fries when I wasn't looking!

Jax: Aw, c'mon!! I'm bored!! And you were so drunk last night you probably thought giant monkeys stole your pickles!!

N/M Shin: You stole my pickles too!!? That's it, go in the corner!! You're in time-out!! And... do the disclaimer!!!

Jax: Awww,(Gives sad puppy whine and stands in corner) N/M Shin does not own Teen Titans, but she does own Darren.

N/M Shin: And....?

Jax: And she owns.... me.

N/M Shin: Good boy. Okay, I'll let you read the fic now... (Maybe we do fight...)

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It began to rain in sheets upon the streets of jump city. It made the powered dirt turn to mud, and the small animals seek refuge from the pelting rain. It lightly showered the sides of the Titans' tower, waking up the only sober resident within its walls.

Darren woke up to the light drum of the rain on the windows. He sat up from his place on the couch, taking in the surroundings. Cyborg was asleep standing in the corner, the result of a strange drinking game. Beast Boy was snoring loudly from his place on the floor, laying on his back. And Raven was asleep next to him, face down on the floor with her arm draped lazily over his chest. The only other things in the room were the countless empty beer bottles on the coffee table. Some were broken; his dad had used them as bowling pins.

"Dad always was a mean drunk." He said to himself, walking the stiffness out of his legs. "But mom usually took it easy on the beer."

He laughed to himself, talking about his parents like they were best friends. But they almost were. BB and Rae always treated him like an equal, like an adult, and they had always had a strange form of friendship. His parents knew that someone didn't have to be an adult to be treated like one. After all, they had saved the world once or twice in their teen years, they knew all there was to know.

Darren counted the bottles that lay next to his father, doing the usual math that came along with telling how long he would be out. Twelve bottles, ten minutes each before five bottles, one hour each after five bottles, two hours after seven, divided by two. Five hours and twenty minutes. Plenty of time.

Ever since he had learned about his parents being titans, something they never tried to hide from him, he had wondered what it was like inside. He wanted to know what his parents were like before they were adults, how they acted, what they looked like, what they kept in their rooms. Darren had a similar curiosity about Robin and Star, who he saw so often, he had referred to them as 'Aunt an Uncle'. They seemed so young and happy, that he figured they had acted the same way all their lives. His parents were another story entirely.

From what Robin, Star, even Cyborg had told him, his parents had been as opposite as, well, the opposites themselves. They had been irritated with each other, argued at every turn, even hated each other to some extent, but how could people who love each other act like that?

Darren didn't like to believe in love. Nothing could be strong enough between two people to be considered love. His parents had fun together, they were great together, but they struck him as friends, not lovers. The phrase had no meaning to him. Love was nothing but the opposite of hate, there was no such thing.

Darren walked down the shadowed hall, inspecting each door as he passed it.

S-T-A-R-F-I-R-E

Nope.

R-O-B-I-N

Nuh-uh.

C-Y-B-O-R-G

Not.

R-A-V-E-N

Bingo.

Then, he found it. The door was relatively simple. No hinges, no knob, it was a futuristic sliding door, but it wouldn't open. He noticed the key pad next to the door. Apparently, a code was needed. There was a large, red sign on the door.

Do Not Enter Without Proper Pass Code

Input Four-Digit Pass Code Into Keypad

Incorrect Code Will Sound Alarm

Have A Nice Day

"Well, this isn't going to work."

He could just guess the code, if it wasn't for the alarm, and he knew that his mother's password would be completely random and unguessable. Maybe someone who was more simple, someone dumber.

"I wonder where dad's room is."

Darren continued down the hallway, checking each door for his father's name. It had something to do with animals, that was really all he remembered. Darren preferred not to ask questions about his parent's super-hero days, mostly because, he was jealous.

Darren's parent had awesome physical abilities. Shape shifting, telekinesis, mind reading, healing, talking to animals, but he didn't have anything. He was part demon, by a small margin, so why didn't he have telekinesis? His father's genes had been spliced with animal DNA, why couldn't he shapeshift? He had his father's genes too. It just wasn't fair that his parents could do all of this, and he couldn't. He should. And he would, he would make sure of it.

He had decided a long time ago that, if he couldn't have powers, he would fight like Robin. He trained every day, toned his muscles, experimented with explosives, he did everything possible so that he could fight. It was his families history, and he would be in it too.

He found the door about halfway through his musings.

B-E-A-S-T-B-O-Y

Now this would be easy.

The key pad was obviously used, because one of the keys had completely faded away. The zero key, of course.

Darren punched in the code; zero, zero, zero, zero. And a metallic voice emitted from the door.

**"Correct pass code, welcome Beast Boy."**

Darren gasped as he looked in the room from the doorway, it was a total sty. There were moldy plates of tofu all over the floor, possibly twenty years old, clothes covering the carpet, the bed was unmade, and wires criss-crossed all over the floor from his television and computer. He was definitely an internet pirate.

"I should leave right now," he told himself, "And I could, if I wasn't such a neat freak."

He started with the bed.

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Just a little background information. This story does have a plot, I promise, I just don't know what it is yet.

Jax: Can I come out of the corner now?

N/M Shin: You can come out when I have... twenty-five reviews.

Jax: Please, for the love of god, review!!!

N/M Shin: You heard the man!! And now, for my motto, which I have actually been quoted on!!

Read, review, repeat.


	4. Conneand'r

AAAAAAARRGGHH!!!

I had an awesome song for a songfic, but it doesn't fit in until, like, the very end of the story!!! So I can't use it!!!! Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!!!!! (Continues shouting obstinacies)

Jax: Well, N/M Shin is having an anger episode right now, so I'll be doing the author's note.

Thank you to all of the wonderful people who got me out of the corner!!! You are truly gods of mercy!!!! I shall thank you in the only way possible over the internet.... or, whatever they call it that we are talking on.

Everyone who reviewed chapter three gets a huge, life sized, 5'7 Jax plushie!!!! Hug it and squeeze it and take it to the park!!! It will always love you, because it is a mindless dummy!!!

N/M Shin: Just like you!!!

Jax: I thought you were having an episode!!

N/M Shin: That doesn't mean you can take over my fic!!!!

Jax: But all I did was thank the reviewers!!!!

N/M Shin: Well...... you didn't do it right!!!

Jax: I didn't?

N/M Shin: No!! You have to actually name the people who get prizes, it makes them feel special!!!

Jax: Okay, sorry.

N/M Shin: Now, do it right, or you're going back in the corner!!!

Jax: Yes ma'am, the following people get cushy, soft, huggable plushies of me!!!

MOOgoestheCHICKEN (You're always great)

K9: The First

Taiba

Kaos Kitsune

Fate's ex, Death's lover

Lil-c-girl2218

Sakura

Alanna Hrncir

Jax: Thank you for the chance at freedom!!!!

N/M Shin: Hey, Jax, want some NFT?

Jax: What's NFT?

N/M Shin: Well, Taiba gave me a porto-flamethrower.

Jax: So? What's NFT?

N/M Shin: NFT is.... Ninmenju-shin Fried Terra.

Jax: I wondered where that burning smell was coming from....

Terra: (Coughs) ow......

Jax: Nah, I wouldn't eat that. It's too high in skank. I'm trying to cut back.

N/M Shin: I guess you're right. Geez Terra, you're so useless. Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around.

Jax: So you have an excuse for your strange obsession with weaponry and torture?

N/M Shin: Oh yeah, that's right!!! Let's try the electric contacts again!!! (Presses button on remote)

Terra: (Wearing electric contacts) AHHHHHHH!!! IT BURNS!!!!!!!

Jax: This can't be legal.....

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Darren looked back and admired his work. The room still smelled like rotten tofu, but it was actually clean! And, he had found a little bonus prize, in the form of a sticky-note on BB's computer. It bore two simple words, and four small numbers, and he clutched in his hands as he ran back down the hall.

It said: Raven's number, 4483.

Darren ran to his mother's room and put in the code, only to be severely disappointed. The room was completely empty. Nothing was there. She had taken everything, even the bed. It was nothing at all.

"Geez, I can't believe it!" He yelled to himself as he walked back to the living room.

He plopped down on the couch, his parents being right were he had left them, and fell fast asleep. Cleaning his father's room had really taken it out of him. He had dreams of tofu and literal internet pirates. Those were too strange to go over right now.

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The boy was awoken by his father's frantic scream.

"Oh my fuckin' god!!! Raven help!! Someone cleaned my room!!"

"Gee, call the navy." Darren replied, sitting up groggily. "Didn't know his room was beyond cleaning."

"You don't know the half of it." His mother answered, getting up from the floor.

"Yes I do, I'm the one who cleaned it." He said, helping her up.

Suddenly Beast Boy came running in. He ran over to Darren and shook his entire body by the shoulders, like he was trying to make him think right. Something in his face looked shocked, it was his eyes.

"How could someone related to me be such a neat freak?" He yelled at the ceiling, putting Darren back down. "It isn't possible!"

"So, Cy," Raven said, trying to change the conversation, "You want me to call Robin and Star, they could come over and get you caught up."

"Ya ya!" Darren yelled, running over to her, "Invite them over!"

"What's he so excited about?" Cyborg asked as Beast Boy showed Darren around the rest of the tower.

"I think," She answered, picking up the phone, "That he has a little crush on Star's daughter."

"What!" Cyborg yelled, "I thought you said they weren't married!"

"Well, they couldn't wait," she said with a laugh, "They were planning on getting married when Robin gave up on being Nightwing, until then, they would be a family anyway. Now Robin gave up on Nightwing, and they're planning on getting married."

"How old is she?" Cyborg asked, calming down.

"She's about 14, a little younger than Darren. They've known each other since they were born, we hang out with Star and Robin so much."

"So, are you going to call them?"

"I already did."

"What?"

"Telepathy."

"Oh."

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The doorbell rang a few moments later, as Robin, Starfire, and a black-haired girl came into the tower. The girl had long, blackish-reddish hair that went down to her upper back. She had a very strong look on her face, which seemed to be full of confidence. She looked like she was brave and sure, and she hadn't even said a word. It seemed to radiate off of her, 'nobody mess with me'.

"Cyborg, how have you been?" Robin said, shaking Cyborg's hand while Starfire gave him a crushing hug.

"Well, I was doing okay until Star started hugging me." He said, making fake choking sounds.

The adults sat down on the couch laughing, leaving the girl standing awkwardly. Darren would take care of that.

"Hey, Connie, c'mere, you gotta see the roof of this place!" Darren said, pulling her away from the adults and disappearing down the hallway.

"She didn't even introduce herself." Cyborg said with a laugh.

"Connie's kinda shy, but you couldn't guess by looking at her." Robin explained, gazing at the beer bottles littering the floor.

"It figures, you would call us after the party."

"Sorry. So, her name's Connie. Nice name." Cyborg said, picking up the bottles and throwing them away.

"Hey, you should recycle those!" BB yelled, taking the bottles out of the trash.

"Her name is actually Conneand'r, but we call her Connie for short," Starfire explained, "It is a Tameranean name."

"And, she's taken quite a liking to Darren." Robin added.

"Cuz our boy's a lady's man." Gar said proudly, putting his arm around Rae's shoulders.

"So, how come you didn't show up at BB and Rae's wedding?" Robin asked Cyborg.

"I didn't get the invitation until after the wedding," He said, motioning to the still unread pile of mail, "But I'll be sure to come to yours."

"You'd better, BB can't be my only best man."

"I see what you mean."

"Hey!"

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After a few minutes of walking down the long hallways, Darren and Connie reached the door to the roof. They both stood at the edge, gazing at the city below. The wind blew their hair around their young faces as they stood, in awe at the sight. The city was small and perfect beyond the bay. And they could hear the waves lapping up against the shore. Darren could smell the salty ocean water, it calmed him. Nature always calmed him.

"You were right, this is awesome!" Connie yelled to him over the sound of the waves.

"Yah, it's really cool!" he shouted back. "My mom used to come here all the time, to meditate and stuff!"

"It's kinda loud though!" She called, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Then maybe we should save our voices, we don't have to talk!" Darren said loudly, sitting down so that his legs dangled over the edge of the roof. He hoped that she would come sit beside him, just a bit of romantic advice his dad had given him.

Connie came running over to him, taking a seat beside him and letting her legs fall over the rim of the roof. She looked thoughtfully down at the water, and then shivered slightly. Her T-Shirt and skirt weren't keeping her very warm.

_'This couldn't get more perfect.'_ Darren thought as he leaned over to her. "Cold?"

"Yah, thanks." She said softly, leaning on his shoulder.

They sat like that for a few seconds, neither of them shivering against the bitter cold wind, and just looked over at the scenery. Darren was calm and cool, his plan finally having come together. But Connie was a bit nervous. She had always liked Darren, but was so shy and jumpy that she never really showed it. She and Darren had been friends since they were children, and she had no trouble talking to him, but romance was a whole other ballpark.

As they sat, and the sky began to turn a pink hue, a shining orb fell out of the sky. The earth shook as it made impact in the desert beside the city, creating a small explosion. The boats bobbed up and down in the harbor, then, all was silent.

"What was that?" Connie asked, staring at the sight of impact.

"Meteor?" Darren suggested, in awe at the sight.

"Meteors glow blue, that one glowed silver." Connie said, getting up and offering her hand to Darren. "C'mon, we gotta go tell our parents."

"Yah," He said, taking her hand and getting up, "That was just weird."

They both ran to the door and down the hall, not even knowing that they were still holding hands. Or rather, they didn't really care.

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Yippee!! Some OC fluff for y'all!!

Yes, Star and Robin just couldn't wait. But, they didn't want to get married while Robin was running around in spandex by night. SO, they were considered a family anyway.

So, the plot is beginning to unfold. It will be strange, but it will be original and very cool. I also have an idea for Darren's powers. So, that'll be cool.

Jax: And, again, thank you for getting me out of the corner.

N/M Shin: Jax, would you like to do the honors?

Jax: Yes ma'am! Don't forget to review, until then, remember:

Read, review, repeat!


	5. With The Push Of A Button

Thank you everyone!!! I didn't think that Jax would get such positive feedback!! I guess muses really do make a difference. I wonder why people didn't like him as much in my first two fics...

Jax: Maybe because, YOU WOULDN'T EVER LET ME TALK!!!!!!

N/M Shin: Well, that could be something. In my last story, Jax didn't get to talk to me and you like this, he only made brief appearances as a weapon, or torture device...

Jax: And I tried to tell you I wanted a bigger part, but noooooo, I couldn't talk!!!

N/M Shin: You got to be a DJ at the fifty reviews party, remember?

Jax: Well.....yah, that was fun. But I really wanted to be the bartender, stupid Ginger took that job...

N/M Shin: DO NOT TALK ABOUT YOUR DECEACED BROTHER LIKE THAT!!! HE WAS A GOOD MAN, err... COOKIE!!! AND HE DIED A NOBLE DEATH!!!!

Jax: A noble death?!! You and all of your reviewers ate him!!!! How is that noble!!!??

N/M Shin: Well, we... I..... Shut up before I make you go in the corner again!!!!!

Jax: (Whines like a puppy and hides under conveniently placed table) No corner, no corner!!!

N/M Shin: Well, here's the chapter. I'm kinda mad right now, so, just read it.

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"So, how's life been going for y'all?" Cyborg asked his friends as the kids went up to the roof.

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked.

"What have you guys been doing for a living?" He corrected himself, leaning over to the edge of his seat.

"Well, I'm a lawyer. And BB's a pro surfer. That's why we moved to beach-front property." Raven explained for both of them. (A/N Pro surfer? I have no idea how I came up with that)

"Rae always gets the right verdict, because she can read minds." Gar said proudly. "She gets cases from all over the world, begging for her to judge them, so they can be sure to get the right outcome. And I'm a _retired_ pro surfer. I retired after Darren was born."

"That sounds great, I'll bet you guys rake in the money big time." Cyborg said, happy for his friends.

Beast Boy laughed, "You don't know the half of it."

"Robin inherited Wayne Enterprises from Bruce Wayne himself, he's the... big, important... boss man." Starfire said. "And I do not work, simply because we do not need me too."

"Sounds good to me." Cyborg confirmed after hearing everyone's stories. They seemed to be doing so well.

They sat in silence for a few minutes after that. Maybe they were reflecting on everything, or maybe they just didn't know what to say, but they didn't say a word. The silence was abruptly broken by a frantic scream.

"Help, help!! Mom, dad, Star, Robin, the sky is falling!!!" Darren yelled as he ran in with Connie at his heels.

"You guys are crazy," Beast Boy said, getting up and putting a hand on Darren's shoulder, "It's okay, the sky isn't falling."

"Yes, it is!" Connie cried, "We saw it!! Ch-check the n-news or something!" She stuttered slightly as she gasped for breath, after the long run down the hall. Star got up and walked over to her.

"How many times have I told you to fly when you're in a hurry? You get too exhausted when you run like that!" Star lectured her daughter.

"W-well, Darren was walking, so-"She stuttered, motioning to Darren.

"Darren can't fly," Robin said, matter-of-factly, "You have to focus on getting there, not getting there at the same time."

"Yes sir." Connie said, turning her gaze to the floor. Lectures really embarrassed her.

They had both been lectured like this since they were old enough to walk, the efficient, or fastest, or safest way to do anything. Their parents wanted perfection, from both of them, and they usually got it. They had always had the kids training, right after school, on one of Robin's training courses. Connie's powers came from her Tameranean blood, but Darren's powers hadn't arisen yet. He wasn't much use, but he had great strength and stamina, and didn't even break a sweat running down the hall.

"Um, I wish we could check the news, but, Jinx kinda totaled my TV." Cyborg admitted to the kids, trying to lighten them up.

"Do you have the pieces?" Raven asked him.

"Um, yeah, they're right in that box in the hall." Cyborg said, pointing to a huge box full of shattered glass and plastic.

Raven's hands glowed black for a second as the pieces all rose from the box and took their places back on the TV screen, then melted back into it, fixing it completely. She levitated the remote into Cyborg's hand, who took it eagerly.

"The TV!! You fixed my baby!!" Cyborg yelled, hugging the life out of Raven and switching the television on.

It was CBS News.

A reporter stood on the barren side of jump city. The portion used only for nuclear test sites. It had a large, silver sphere in the middle of a huge crater, still smoking.

**"Yes, a strange metal sphere that fell from the sky moments ago. Officials are still unsure of the sphere's origin, and it is still too hot for the biohazard team to investigate. I believe I speak for everyone when saying, thank god it landed in this abandoned area, and not anywhere near the city. Power is, however, out for some people in the metro area."**

"Um, oooooookay, I guess that's what you were talking about?" Gar said, staring at the TV. The kids nodded.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but, shouldn't we check it out?" Raven asked, looking concerned.

"Can you guys still wear your suits?" Robin asked, getting excited.

"Can we come?" Darren asked excitedly, only to be greeted by frowns, "Okay, we'll stay here."

"Naw, you can come!! You have that suit I made ya, right? And, do you have a suit, Connie?" BB said, happy to let the kids help.

The kids ran to their cars, getting their emergency suits out of the trunk. They always had them around, in case an emergency happened to arise near them. After all, the Justice League couldn't handle everything.

Darren's suit comprised of black shorts, almost like his dad's, and a yellow top. The yellow top was sleeveless, and had diamond shapes cut into the sides, showing off the sides of his abdomen. It was all topped off with a belt, which had a large, dark green gem in the center.

Connie's suit was a dark, deep red, and resembled Backfire's in that, it covered her entire body. It was basically, the suit itself, with metal armor, almost like a bikini. She also had wristbands, and some knee-high boots, like her mother's. It was an interesting outfit.

They kept these suits, mainly to train in. But they had been on more than a few missions.

"Titans, go!"

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The titans arrived on the scene shortly after, and were greeted warmly. Actually, any superhero that arrived first was greatly respected. But when more than one team came, the people turned serious, and booted them out. They were very fickle that way.

Raven lifted the sphere with her powers, allowing the titans to examine it while her powers withheld the heat. They could see that there was clearly a door, but not much else. They examined it for a few more moments, but, suddenly, it opened. And, a strangely spacey Superman walked out.

"Superman?" Everyone in the area shouted at once. BB collapsed with laughter.

"What are you doing here, like this?" Robin asked the man of steel, looking him over.

"Well, our particle accelerator is on the fritz, so when I came for a mandatory visit, I had to use the sphere. Other spheres will land in other cities, but don't worry about them. It's just the justice league, on monitor of your city." He explained, smiling into the camera.

"I'll start my monitoring now, have a nice day." He waved off, flying towards the city.

"Well, we got all suited up for nothing." Darren joked, getting on his father's back as a pterodactyl.

"I guess so." Robin said suspiciously, allowing Starfire to lift him off the ground.

Raven levitated Cyborg and Connie took off, and they headed back to the tower.

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The titans had de-suited, and were now seated in the living room again, bored.

"So, Connie," Cyborg said, trying to strike up conversation, "Do you have a super hero name? Does Darren?"

"Well, I'm Wildfire." She said, obviously proud of her nickname.

"And I don't have a name yet," Darren explained, "I'll think of one when I get actual powers."

"Well, you have it all planned out, don't you." He chuckled, amused by their serious tones.

Suddenly, the alarm went off, and the monitor showed the face of a distressed Supergirl. The watchtower had sent a distress signal.

**"Titans,"** She said frantically,** "All the original members of the Justice league have been kidnapped, and none of us know how to work the watchtower. They never told us. We're trapped in the watchtower, and we can't get out!" **

"Supergirl, it's okay, don't worry, all of the members are on monitor duty on Earth." Robin assured her.

**"No, they're not. We do monitor duty from space, we never go to Earth! Someone filled the watchtower with knock-out gas and kidnapped Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Batman, GL, and J'onn! We saw them! Whoever it is knows all of our weaknesses, he brought down every one of us!"** She said quickly, obviously scared and unsure.

"Did they leave any clues?" Robin asked.

**"If some big, black robots that we fought were clues, then yes."** She said, backing up and showing a robot on the monitor. Slade's robot.

"Slade!" They all said in unison. Even Darren and Connie had fought Slade before. (A/N Slade is the villain in most of my stories)

"Then, who was that in the big pinball?" Darren wondered out loud.

**"I'm so glad you asked,"** a hissing voice came over the monitor, Slade's face was on the monitor, a smug look in his visible eye.

**"The superheroes in the cities are robotic simulations. They look, act, feel, even smell like the real thing. And there is one in every major city in the United States. They will each cause a nuclear explosion, with the push of a button." **He grinned evilly,showing them a device with a button, a big, red button. Robin smashed the coffee table with his fist in rage.

"What do you want, Slade?" He said with pure hatred.

**"I want you to stop them, or don't, it's your choice." **He laughed, **"I suggest you get started, because you only have three days before I push this pretty red button. And then, total annihilation. Stop the robots and find the Justice league, it's that simple."**

Slade's face disappeared from the monitor, and everything was silent for a moment.

"It's not like people aren't gonna mind us beating on the Justice League," Cyborg stated, "They'll probably think it's a grudge match or something."

"If we rescue the league first, then the people will see that the other one's are fakes, and the league could even help us fight them!" Connie offered, trying to be of some help.

"But if we can't find them in three days, we're screwed. We should split into teams, one look for the Justice League, the other take care of the robots." Darren stated, trying to show them he could make up a plan too.

"Good idea, but where would we start looking for them?" Robin asked.

"Not my problem, I'm on the robot team!" Darren joked. "But seriously, I'm not sure where to start looking."

"Maybe the rest of the league can help," Gar spoke up, "First we have to get them out of the watchtower."

"Should I get the T-ship ready?" Cyborg asked.

"First, we split into teams, and soon."

"Yep, the clock is ticking."

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And there you have it, the plot. Neat idea huh?

Jax: Or, not.

N/M Shin: You don't like it?

Jax: It sounds stupid.

N/M Shin: You really can't do anything about it.

Jax: (Sighs) I know.

N/M Shin: So, next chapter, the teams try to find the League, and kill the robots!!

Jax: And, if she gets to it, Darren's powers will also be revealed!!

N/M Shin: And it might even be a songfic from the Spiderman 2 soundtrack!!

Jax: So, don't miss the next chapter, which might not be up until late in the week.

N/M Shin: Until then, remember.

Read, review, repeat.


	6. Anything But Ordinary

I know, I haven't updated in while. This time I have a really good reason though! This is kind of a long explanation, so, if you don't really care then skip the next paragraph.

Okay, first of all, I had four projects due this week. I had to make a model of an African tribal village, write a ten page myth about that tribe, (Which was kinda fun, but still) make a circle graph of what I do on a typical day, (You guys know how annoying a circle graph is, with all of the proportions and stuff) and I had to draw a model of a plant cell, and an animal cell. I know what you're thinking, cells only have, like, twelve parts. But, you know how in third grade, you thought they only had five? In college, there are about 44 parts!!! God, I hate college. Then, my old high school, Brookwood, (Go Broncos!!) was having a football game against their rivals, Parkview. (Skin the panthers!!) So, of course, I had to go. Me and a bunch of my friends tail-gated and it was a lot of fun!! But, the morning before, I had gotten something in my contacts. So, all through class and the game, my eye was burning like hell!! Then, later, while I drawing a violent picture of a bronco and a panther (Venting my anger over our defeat) I fell asleep, in my contacts!! In the morning my eyes were red and watery, and I couldn't even keep them open!!! Right now, I'm in my computer room, sitting in the dark with my sunglasses on, because the light burns so bad!!!!

I just wanna close my eyes and go to sleep. (Sobs)

Jax: Well, why don't you go to bed, and I'll write the fic!!!

N/M Shin: I don't think that-

Jax: Awww, c'mon!! You already told me all of your ideas!!! I know what to write!!!!

N/M Shin: Well......I guess it couldn't hurt...

Jax: Good!! Go now, your eyes aren't getting any better!!!! (Pushes N/M Shin out of computer room and slams door)

Tee hee, the whole fic, all to myself!!! I get the entire author's note!!!! (Looks around)

(Crickets chirp) So, ummm, yeah.

(Scratches head) Okay, Jax, you can do this. Just think comedy, think funny.

Hey, I know!!!! (Pulls rubber chicken out of pocket) There's a chicken in my pocket!!! Isn't that funny!!

Do I even have pockets?......

(Crickets continue chirping)

Why must comedy elude me so?!! How does N/M Shin do it!!!? What is her secret?!!!! (Terra walks in)

Terra: Is N/M Shin not here? (Looks around cautiously)

Jax: Um no, she's not. (Hides torture weapons behind back)

Terra: Whew, that's a relief..... Hey, what do you have behind your back?

Jax: (Shuffles objects behind back) Umm, I have a.... donut!!! Wanna donut?!

Terra: You bet!! (Takes powdered donut) Yum, this is good!!! (Eats it all in one bite, like the pig that she is) Hmmm, I feel weird... (Begins scratching vigorously) Ahhh!! I'm so itchy!!! What did you do to that donut!!?

Jax: Haha!!! The main ingredient is itching power!!! Mua-ha-ha-ha!!! (Points and laughs)

Terra: (rolls around on floor) Ahhh!!! I can't reach it!!! God, it itches sooooo bad!!!!

Jax: Do NOT use the lord's name in vain!! (Shocks Terra with shocky collar)

Terra: (Being electrocuted) AHHHHHH!!! Someone help!!!!

N/M Shin: (Yells from bedroom) Shut up!!!! I can't sleep with you two yelling!!!

Jax: Well, this is hard!!! I can't write your fucking fic, okay!!?

N/M Shin: (Sighs) Fine. (Walks back into computer room)

Jax: You okay?

N/M Shin: No, I can barely see the fucking key board.

Jax: Well, you promised the readers....

N/M Shin: Yeah, I know. So, this chapter will probably be the favorite of several readers. I'll try to make it a songfic, and reveal Darren's powers, and I'll try to fit in some Dar/Con fluff.

Jax: They are cute together.

N/M Shin: (Giggles) Darren and Connie, sitting in a tree, F-U-C-K-I-N-G!!!!

Jax: God, are you drunk again?!!!

N/M Shin: Yes, and it eases the pain!!!!!

Jax: When did you get-

N/M Shin: There was some left over from the tailgate!!! Here, have some!!! (Shoves beer in Jax's face)

Jax: Now, read the chapter, or die trying!!!

N/M Shin: That didn't make any sense!!! You're already drunk!!!

Jax: Just write the chapter!!

Songfic- _Ordinary_, Train

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Darren walked through the city, the rain pelting his head. It had started to rain a few hours ago, which didn't aid in the robot search. The robot team, which included him, Raven, Connie, and Star, had split up awhile ago to search for the robot. So now, he was alone. Alone, cold, and wet.

_Why does it have to be raining?_ He thought, (A/N From now on, thoughts will only be italicized. The apostrophes were getting annoying) _Mom always said that rain was a bad omen, but how would the sky know about what was going to happen? Why is it raining now?_

Being a demon himself, Darren had always believed in the supernatural. But there were some things that even he didn't believe in. Omens were one of them, they were just coincidence.

Out of the corner of his eye, Darren saw someone walk out of a coffee shop. Someone clad in blue, red, and yellow. Superman. Or at least, the thing everyone believed to be Superman.

"Hey Darren!" He shouted, as if they were best friends. "Nasty night for a walk, don't you think?"

Darren pressed the talk button on his communicator, "Guys, he's in the west side, just came out of Starbuck's."

**"What!! Of all people, the man of steel should know that Caribou Coffee is the best!" **Connie joked from the communicator.

**"We'll be there soon, don't let him get away," **Raven said, **"And be careful, we don't know how strong they are."**

"Gotcha." Darren confirmed, switching his communicator off.

"What are you doing?" the imposter questioned, walking closer to him. "Is there something wrong?"

"You could call it that," He said, backing away.

"Can I help you fight it?" It asked, perfectly mimicking Superman's concerned voice.

"Tch, you _are_ it!" Darren yelled, and then ran in for a punch. He hit the imposter squarely in the jaw, making it fall onto its back. A crowd of people gathered around them, yelling at Darren for what he did to their hero.

"What are you doing, you punk ass kid?!"

"That's Superman, you're in so much trouble!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Yeah," the robot agreed, rising from the ground, "Why did you hit me?"

"Because you're not Superman!" Darren yelled so that the crowd could hear. "You all have to get out of here, that thing is a robot created by Slade, and is going to trigger a nuclear explosion! Trust me, I'm with the Titans."

"Aren't the Titans those kids who got fired from the super hero biz because of the league?"

"I bet they're trying to take out the league!"

"Get 'em Superman!"

"Tell me," Darren said, fingering something in his pocket, "Do you feel weak, Superman?"

"No."

"Well," Darren yelled as he took the object from his pocket. He held it flat in his palm, so that everyone could clearly see the green glowing gem in his hand, "You should."

"That's kryptonite!"

"It didn't affect him at all!"

"That can't be Superman! The kid's right!"

"Now can I fight the guy?" Darren asked the crowd, who nodded in confusion.

"No, you can't." Raven's voice sounded above him. "Not without us."

Raven touched down a few feet from Darren, followed by Star and Connie. "Sorry we took so long, but Connie just _had_ to prove she could lift that bus."

"Well, I could, couldn't I?" Connie shouted back. "Besides, we've got a robot to smash here!"

Connie flew over to the robot, smashing her fist straight into its face. The metal dented beneath her hand, causing Superman's face to become distorted. She continued to send blow after blow, until the robot kicked her, hard, in the stomach. She was sent reeling back into Darren, knocking them both onto the concrete with tremendous force. The robot was strong. Not as strong as Superman, but strong.

"Holy crap." Darren said, getting up.

"Sorry," Wildfire blushed as she stood back up, "That wasn't very smart."

Starfire started pelting the robot with Starbolts, causing the pieces of skin that still hung on to it to fall off. It didn't look like Superman at all now, it looked, well, I like how Darren put it.

"Holy crap, it's Ah-nold!" He shouted, causing Connie to fall over in laughter.

The crowd would have laughed too, if they hadn't all fled by now.

"Could you try to be a little more serious?" Raven said sarcastically as she smashed the robot with a bus.

"Sorry." Connie replied. As if to prove how serious she was, she bombarded the robot with... whatever she called Starbolts. The red energy sizzled as it hit the robot's metal frame. Connie's Starbolts were thousands of degrees hotter than her mom's, hence the name.

The robot ran towards them. It put its arm out in front of it and, in a Cyborg-esque way, its arm formed a cannon of sorts. The robot shot the cannon directly at Raven, who was still pummeling it with buses. The beam went straight through the buses, leaving a hole in the thin metal, and hit Raven point-blank. She skidded across the pavement, the scraping sound making Darren's teeth shake.

Darren let out a gasp before running over to her. It kept running through his head, what his father had told him before they all set out. What he said Darren had to do in his place.

_I'm counting on you to make sure Raven doesn't get hurt. If I can't be there, you have to. I have full confidence in you, just, watch out for her, okay? I can't begin to tell you how much she means to me, and I know you love her too._

_I do love her dad, and I know you how much you do too. But I can't help, I'm not strong enough._ He thought as he kneeled down beside her. He carefully checked her pulse and her breathing. But as soon as he had gotten there, she sat up.

"Whoa, whoa, don't try to get up." He said to her.

"What's with you? I'm fine, it'll take a lot more than that to bring me down." She assured him. "C'mon, you're strong enough to help the fight."

_How did she know I thought I- oh. _His mother's telepathy never ceased to amaze him.

They ran back into the fray, both sure that they could take it down. Everyone was sure they could. None of the Titans doubted that they could do this, not even one. After all, they still had over two and a half days left to do it.

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_God, this is so pointless._ Beast Boy thought as he searched the skies. His eagle form rode the updrafts as his keen eyes searched the ground below, but he had no idea what he was looking for. Robin had said that getting the Justice League out of the watchtower would take too much time. And if there was anything they didn't have, it was time. So they were searching for clues about the whereabouts of the JL, of course, no one knew just what those clues were.

_Nothing here could be considered a clue! There's just rocks, cars, buildings, streets, a pizza place.... Man, I'm hungry. Hmmm, those workers are putting something on that tall building. In the rain too, they must be hard workers. Why are they wearing black? Hey, that's a bomb! And those are Slade cronies!_

Beast Boy landed a few feet away from the building and contacted Robin and Cyborg on the communicator.

"Guys, there's some Slade-bots on fifth and sixth, putting a bomb on the treasury building."

**"Good job Beast Boy, stop the bomb and follow the robots if they run. They could lead us to Slade."**Robin ordered, signing off.

"This oughtta keep me entertained for awhile."

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Darren hit the brick wall with a loud thud, the stone slightly crumbling with the sudden force. The robot was certainly a match for the Titans, it had brought them all down, one by one. And now, he was going to get his. It lumbered towards him, aiming its cannon straight at his face. The light shining from the barrel of its weapon was blinding, so he turned his head away from the certain death. Starfire had been hit by a thrown car, and was lying over the hood of it, between the car and a large building. Raven had been hit one time too many by the blasts, and lay in the street, slowly bleeding on the pavement. Wildfire had been doing well in hand to hand combat with it, but had been delivered a harsh kick and was sent flying into a streetlight. The force might have broken her back.

And Darren had tried to help, he really had, but he wasn't much use at all. It made him wonder why they had even brought him, and how they were going to stop the other five robots when they couldn't even stop this one. Hope seemed lost. Hope was lost. Then, hope was found.

_Why did they even bring me? I'm no help. I don't have powers or skills, I'm not smart like Robin and Cy, why did they bring me?_ He thought as the beam became brighter. _Damn robot, you made me break my promise to Dad, you might have killed Mom, or Star, or Connie. They could be dead, but you don't care, do you?_

"You don't even care." He choked out, his head was bleeding against the building. "You don't even care!" His voice went from realization, to anger. It hurt the people he loved, and he couldn't do anything about it, because he was just an ordinary kid.

_I would rather be anything, anything but ordinary._

Darren's vision suddenly went red, a violent, crimson red. Everything he could see was outlined in red, the cars, the buildings, his family and friends, red. It was just, red. But the red didn't impair his sight, it made it better, much better. Everything was clearer, brighter, and he could suddenly hear everything. He could hear the Titans breathing, the gears in the robot shifting, the leaves dripping in the rain, it was all clear.

Clear, red, and loud.

"_Whose eyes am I behind?_

_I don't recognize anything that I see_

_Whose skin is this design?_

_I don't want this to be the way that you see me"_

An instinct that he didn't recognize told him to react, to protect himself from the blast. _Form a barrier, save yourself, it's gonna shoot._ He formed a shell over himself in his mind, and his red vision turned navy blue. The robot shot the blast, but it dissipated against the dark blue shield, and the blue faded away. It faded back to red.

_It's got you trapped on all sides, go up, get away!_ Go up? Okay, go up. Darren focused on the sky, and felt a twinge of excitement when a breeze blew through. He somehow caught the breeze by instinct, and followed it up. He went up.

Darren reached the roof and touched down, and decided to take a good look, at himself. He was taller, that much was clear, but he was also calmer, more sure. He held his hands up to his face, and gasped.

His arms were muscled, strong, they looked like they could crush a car. He had crimson skin under his light brown fur, giving him a reddish-brown appearance. He had claws on the tips of his fingers, and claws on his feet. He was almost like a cross between a demon, and a werewolf. He could smell, hear, and see everything so clearly. But, how had he gotten on the roof?

"_I don't understand anything anymore_

_In this world that I'm tired of_

_Is taking me right up these walls_

_That I climb up_

_To get to your story_

_It's anything but ordinary"_

Rain dripped from the huge, bat-like wings on his back. They were a deep red, and he spread them out behind him, splashing water all around him. These wings had caught the breeze by instinct, they knew how to fly.

His large muscles bulged beneath his suit; he was easily 7'8, maybe taller, and his huge muscles only reflected that. A scream sounded below, making his pointy, dog-like ears perk up. It was Star.

"_And when the world is on its knees with me its fine_

_And when I come to the rescue I get nothing but left behind_

_Everybody seems to be getting what they need, where's mine?_

'_Cause you're what I need so very, but I'm anything but ordinary"_

He glided back down to the ground. The robot was coming towards Starfire, who was still pinned to the wall by the car. From his place in the sky, they both looked like ants. _And ants need to be squashed._

Darren flew, more like fell, down to the street, landing a drop kick right on the robot's head. The metal creaked and bended beneath the force of the kick, and the weight of the demon. Soon the robot looked more like a hubcap. It was squashed, and squashed good.

"_Can you save me from this world of mine?_

_Before I get myself arrested with this expectation_

_You are the one look what you've done_

_What have you done?_

_This is not some kind of joke_

_You're just a kid_

_You weren't ready for what you did, no."_

"You have been terminated." He joked, grinning.

Starfire stared, mouth agape, at his hulking form. He was bigger and more muscled than Cyborg, and that was saying something. His grin was fanged, not Beast Boy fanged, but wolverine fanged. He had rows of gleaming white fangs, and a long, doglike snout.

(A/N I had drawn a picture of him, a really good one, but I can't show you. Do you really think I own a scanner? Picture him like... umm... just, a reddish-brown werewolf, with wings, you've got Darren)

"D-Darren?" Star stuttered, obviously scared.

Darren relaxed his muscles, which made himself grow shorter. He could feel himself going back to normal, and the red faded from his vision.

"Yup." Was his only reply.

"_And when the world is on its knees with me its fine_

_And when I come to the rescue I do it for you time after time_

_Everybody seems to be getting what they need, where's mine?_

'_Cause you're what I need so very, but I'm anything but ordinary"_

A groan came from Connie as she tried to sit up. He had been right, she had broken something against the streetlight. He bounded over to her, and noticed that she was bleeding heavily.

"Hold on, don't try to move." He told her, looking around for Raven. After all, Raven could heal people.

_She can also make barriers._

'What's your point?'

_So can you._

'That dark blue thing, was me?'

_She's not getting any better._

'Right, I'll worry about who it is I'm talking to later.'

He raised his hand to her side, and was shocked when it shone a dark blue. The gash along her side closed itself, and he could hear her ribs mending. It was freaking him out.

Connie's eyes fluttered open, and before he could ask her if she was okay she threw herself on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and cried on his shoulder. Her sobs made a pit form in his heart, but, why was she crying?

"Are you okay?" he finally choked out. She only hugged him tighter.

"Look, I need to check on Mom and Star, will you be okay by yourself for a second?" He asked, hoping that she would understand.

She sniffed. "Don't leave."

"But-"

"_I think I'm trying to save the world for you_

_You've been saving me too_

_We could just stay in and save each other"_

"It's okay, Star and I are fine," Raven assured him as they both walked towards them, "That was very impressive."

"What did you see?" Darren asked, hoping that Raven could explain what had happened.

"Everything. You're a demon, kid. Good for you."

"_I'm anything but ordinary_

_(Ordinary)_

_I'm anything but ordinary_

_(Ordinary)"_

"Don't call me kid."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And there you have it, Darren's magnificent powers revealed!!

Jax: That chapter made next to no sense.

N/M Shin: Okay, look. Darren's power is that he can turn into a cross between a demon, and a beast...thing. I tried to mix Raven's and BB's powers to create his, and I thought it was cool!

Jax: So, can he make barriers and heal people too?

N/M Shin: Did you even read the chapter? Of course he can!! That stuff's normal demon ability!!

Jax: And he can fly?

N/M Shin: Yes.

Jax: I think I get it now.

N/M Shin: He also has super strength. Not Superman strength, but, y'know, Starfire strength.

Jax: Kay. Geez, that was a long chapter though!

N/M Shin: I know, and I'm right proud of it!!!

Jax: So, ummm, what's this? (Points to round object)

N/M Shin: That's a dragon egg that Taiba gave me.

Jax: So, now you have a werewolf, and a dragon? (Whimpers)

N/M Shin: Aww... (Gives Jax a hug) You're not getting replaced, you're just getting a new brother.... or sister.

Jax: Okay...

N/M Shin: And, we need a bartender at the fifty reviews party!!! If we even have one.... I mean, I have next to no reviews!!!

Jax: So, review if you have any questions!!

N/M Shin: Until then,

Read, review, repeat!!


	7. The Hellion

Okay y'all, I've got something really important to tell you....

Jax: ....... So, what is it?

N/M Shin: Ummm, y'know...... that thing.

Jax: The dragon egg?

N/M Shin: No, that thing already hatched, remember!!? (Points to where small, bluey-silvery dragon curls up next to fireplace.)

Jax: When did we get a fireplace?

N/M Shin: That's not the point!!!

Jax: Okay, did you mean the fifty reviews party?

N/M Shin: No, but we'll get back to that.

Jax: Well, I can't think of anything else....

N/M Shin: We just talked about it this morning!!! Remember, chocolate chip pancakes? Running out of powdered sugar?

Jax: Your four-day weekend?

N/M Shin: No dammit!!!! The thing that concerns a reviewer, and some assistance and stuff!!!

Jax: Oh!!! _THAT_ thing!!! Why don't you just tell them yourself?

N/M Shin: I don't know, just because.... I'll be hosting the party, and....well, you tell them.

Jax: Why me?

N/M Shin: Because I own you!!!!

Jax: Okay, the following announcement shall be said only once. It will be centered, bolded, and followed by information regarding it. Those of you wishing to cooperate should follow the given instructions in full, unless otherwise specified. Please do not include responses in a review. If you do so, you will not be considered, and will not be able to participate. Here is the big announcement:

**Ninmenju-shin is looking for an experienced beta-reader.**

**They must have sent in at least three reviews thus far, to any of her stories.**

**Those who wish to apply must follow these steps:**

**E-mail Ninmenju-shin, telling her your penname, and when you will be available (Optional). Ninmenju-shin's e-mail address can be found at her bio page. Please comply by Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004.**

**You must include your AIM screen name. AIM is extremely useful for a quick conversation, and will be used to make corrections. If you do not have an AIM screen name, or do not have AOL, then simply go to AOL. com and sign up there. Those without AIM will not be considered.**

**You must have written at least one story. Ninmenju-shin is looking for an experienced writer who can improve upon her writing and be a second pair of eyes to mistakes. This said, they must be moderately skilled, and have at least thirty reviews for at least one story.**

**And most importantly, the beta-reader must have parent permission, if younger than eighteen. Sure, you could fake it, you have no way of proving it anyway, but I would like to know that I do not put the beta-reader at risk. You could fake it, but if I found out, you would lose a valued thing from me. You would lose my trust. **

**Please E-mail me if you believe you have a reason to be an exception to any of these rules, and provide me with that reason.**

**Thank you.**

Jax: (Takes deep breathe) Okay, I think that's everything.

N/M Shin: Now do you see why I didn't want to do it?!!

Jax: Now that that's out of the way, how about the other matters at hand?

N/M Shin: First off, I have a four-day weekend!!! Yay!!!! Friday is a make up day, for those who are missing assignments, and Monday is Columbus Day!!! Yay for the man who learned that the earth was round!!!!!!

Second...off, my dragon egg hatched!!! So, say hello to my brand new muse-like buddy!!! This, my friends, is Zephyr!!!! Isn't that just the coolest name you've ever heard!!?

Zephyr is an air dragon, and I have been given the following information about air dragons from Taiba:

**Ninmenju-shin **gets the egg of an air dragon, whom, when hatched, is the most elite of all fliers. Albeit small, it is fast, reaching speeds of over 75 miles an hour when flying at top speed.

And that is all that I know. Zephyr is small and silvery-blue, and has dark blue wings. He rocks, and deserves respect. (Pronounced _zeff-er_)

Third off, the fifty reviews party will be held in the next chapter. The author's note for this chapter is already too long, what with the beta reader thing and all. Everyone who reviewed is invited, of course. There will be coke floats, vanilla coke/Pepsi, and any other drink if you are opposed to imaginary/pretend alcohol. MOOgoestheCHICKEN will be the barkeeper in Ginger's absence, also because Zephyr is too young to be a bartender. He will be doing hat check, however, so don't hesitate to bring a hat!!!

And fourth off, PLEASE TELL ME THAT EVERY BB&RAE SHIPPER SAW SPELLBOUND BECAUSE IT WAS OUR ULTIMATE MOMENT!!!! God, I feel so warm and huggly.... can anyone tell me where I can find the hug screenshot because I MUST MAKE IT AN ICON!!!! They hugged they hugged they hugged!!!!! And Cy just had to ruin it!!!! Damn him!!!! (Runs after Cyborg with a spork)

And that is the news for today.

Jax: This may be our longest author's note ever.....

N/M Shin: And that's a bad thing?

Terra: Everything in this fic is bad!!!!

N/M Shin: What did you just say to me?!!! Smoke her Zephyr!!!

Zephyr: (Breathes bright white fire at Terra) Grrr...!! (Gives pathetic baby-roar)

Terra: (Now very crispy) Cough... another muse?!! Why do you need another muse??!!

N/M Shin: How about me, Jax, and Zephyr explain to you why we do these things, while the nice people read the chapter? (Cracks knuckles)

Terra: And here it comes.... (Cowers in fear)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rain soaked his sleek green hair as he stood, concealed, behind the building. The robots were busy putting the bomb on the building, and as soon as they were done he would jump out. He had a plan, for once. He would wait for the robots to try to leave, stall them with a battle, wait till the others got there, and follow them when they ran away. Simple enough for him to follow.

_I hope Darren and the girls are doing okay. _He thought, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Waiting was never his strong point. The robots seemed to take hours to put the bomb together. It must have been a very tricky device.

_Or very destructive._ Now that was something he didn't want to think about.

Finally, the robots put the casing on the bomb and started to slink away. Beast Boy turned into a cheetah and ran to intercept them, putting his retractable claws out. He had been very patient, and now, he would get to kick some ass.

_Now remember, go easy on them. You don't want to beat them, just make them run away. _He reminded himself, growling at the familiar henchmen.

_But, there are three of them. Maybe just one....it couldn't hurt._

He pounced, his hooked claws ready to latch onto their faces. He hadn't done this for a long time, and these guys were overdue for another thrashing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, the robot team was gliding towards their next target. Reports had come in that Flash was on monitor duty in Las Vegas, but they had already taken care of that. The robot's only power was speed, and once Raven had it levitating in the air, Star and Wildfire got some target practice. It was a very uneventful fight, and probably caused the least property damage of any fight they had ever had. Things just seemed to break whenever they were helping people, they couldn't help it.

Now they were heading towards Chicago, in search of the robotic Batman. (A/N Can't you just hear the theme song playing?) They had been flying silently for about two hours until the tall buildings came into view, silhouetted against the post-rain sky. Even in Chicago it had been raining, which gave the weather effect an ominous feel.

"All right, none of us even said a word on the way here, and it's getting really freaky!" Connie pointed out, tired of the thick silence.

"Oh gee, let's talk about the weather then," Darren replied sarcastically, "not."

"You have issues." She yelled back, flying up beside him.

"Yeah, and one of them's flying a little too close for comfort." He said, smirking.

She rammed him with her shoulder, and soon it was an all out shoving match. At first they just nudged each other playfully, but soon they were really trying to knock each other out of the sky. Darren whacked her with one of his wings, shocking her and causing her to fall. He swooped down and caught her before she fell too far, and they were in trouble for the rest of the fight. They kept on shooting competitive glances at one another, but it wasn't exactly communicating. Darren knew just how to handle this situation.

_Hey Connie, I can read your mind._

_How did you just say that?_

_Beats me._

_So, what do you wanna talk about?_

_I dunno, the fight I guess._

_I'm tired of talking about that, can't you think of anything else?_

_Well, wanna help me think of a superhero name?_

_We could call you..... Um, we could....... _

Darren could feel her mind churning, thinking. It was strange to hear the random thoughts in her head, actually hear her mind work. And all he could think of was, man, these powers rock!

_Man, I sure could use right now...._

_That's okay Con, I'm sure I'll think of something._

_No wait, demons are from hell, right?_

_Well, I take offense to that._

_No, think about it! We could call you....hellhound, or archfiend or something!_

_But, I'm a good guy!_

_Okay, if you're so smart, why don't you make some suggestions?_

_Maybe we could get something from another superhero team._

_Isn't that copyright infringement?_

_Shut up! Like..... What was that lady's name from the X-men?_

_The Scarlet Witch?_

_Okay, can't use that one...._

_Wasn't there a team of kids, who, like, all died or something?_

_Hey, if they're dead, we can use their name!!_

_Damn..... What were they called?_

_Ummm.... the Hellions?_

_That's it!! I could be The Hellion!!!_

_How about just, 'Hellion'?_

_That works too._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sorry about the lameness and shortness, but I'm having major writers block. (Grumbles)

I did write a poem though...

Jax: Well, hopefully you'll be over this writer's block soon.

Zephyr: Until then, you guys could check out her poem! I really liked it!

Jax: What appreciation could a baby dragon possibly have for poetry?

Zephyr: Poetry rhymes with poultry!!!

Jax: No it doesn't!!! And that was completely irrelevant!!!

Zephyr: And poultry tastes better cooked! Cooked poultry is fun!! Fun rhymes with run!!

Jax:....... and?

Zephyr: Jax looks like poultry

Cooked poultry is fun

So I'd better start cooking

Before he can run!

Jax: (Horrified look) you're demented!!

Zephyr: And you're poultry!!! (Runs after Jax with George Foreman grill)

N/M Shin: Both of you stop right now!! You can't act like that in every chapter!!!

Jax: It's not my fault!!! He's a twisted little poet!!!

Zephyr: Poultry... poultry..... A sultry soul food.

N/M Shin: Zephyr, either do that to Terra or don't do it at all!!

Zephyr: Terra rhymes with marinara.... (Chases after Terra with large pepper grinder and sauce cook book)

Jax: Oh goody, the next Iron Chef....

N/M Shin: More like the next Texas Chainsaw Massacre....

Jax: The Atlanta Pepper Grinder Massacre....

N/M Shin: The author's notes are about to get a whole lot weirder....


	8. Counting Down To Detonation

First of all, I'm sorry I didn't get the chapter up sooner. Me and Taiba are having some e-mail problems... so...

Hello, and welcome to the party!!!!! (Colorful streamers fall from ceiling)

Jax: (Takes rightful place at DJ table) WOOOOOO!!!!

N/M Shin: Don't do that....

Jax: Let's play some mu-zaaaakkk!!!!

N/M Shin: Oh yeah, he's in the zone (Rolls eyes) If you have a hat, feel free to leave it with Zeph at the door.

Zephyr: Hats, hats, burn away the fat, it takes a master chef, so how about that! (Is grilling hats on his George Foreman)

N/M Shin: Of course, if you actually like your hat.....

MOOgoestheCHICKEN: Hey Zeph, need something to wash those down with?

Zephyr: Got any Pibb Xtra?

N/M Shin: No!! He is not allowed to have caffeine!!! Ever!!!! Go back to eating your hats Zeph!!!

Zephyr: (Mumbles) let's me have tequila but not coke.

N/M Shin: See her for all your refreshment needs.

Crazy Tomboy: You're insane, there is no hope for you!!

LT. Ra: Squeeeeak!!!

N/M Shin: Hey, why don't you two go test your strength!!? And leave me alone?

VashTheStampede7123: Where do we do that?

N/M Shin: Hold on a sec (Walks up to podium) Step right up and have fun!! Test your strength!! Hit this spot with this heavy mallet, if you hit hard enough the projectile on it will ring the bell and you'll win a prize!!!

Mew-Xena: What fun is that?

N/M Shin: Well, the bell electrocutes anything that touches it, namely...... Terra!!! Yes, if you hit hard enough, Terra will get smacked against a bell and then shocked with 20,000 volts of pure electric pain!!!!

(Huge cheer erupts from crowd)

N/M Shin: And that's not all!! If you don't get her to ding the bell, just whack her with the very heavy mallet!!! Yay!!!!

Me2000: I wanna do it!! (Walks up to podium and smacks Terra relentlessly with mallet)

N/M Shin: Well........that works too, I guess.....

(Me2000 is still hitting Terra) Okay, give everybody else a turn!!!

Jax: Hey N/M Shin, I ain't playing this music for nothing!!!! Get over here and dance!!!!

N/M Shin: You got it!!! (Runs onto dance floor and break-dances)

(Soon people are all over dance floor and bar)

(Hours later)

N/M Shin: (At bar) I tell ya Em, I got a serious case of writer's block here... (Pours herself tequila)

MOOgoestheCHICKEN: Well, I suggest you GET OVER IT AND WRITE THE CHAPTER!!!!

N/M Shin: Teehee, one tequila....two tequila....three tequila.... (Falls out of chair in drunked-ness) Floor!!! Haha!!!

Taiba: Oooookay....

N/M Shin: Hey Taiba!!! (Staggers to feet) I haven't seen you all chapter, where have you been?

Taiba: I was busy PROOF READING THE FUCKIN' THING!!!!

N/M Shin: You know what, I'm glad you're my beta-reader. (Collapses and falls asleep on floor) Zzzzzz....

(More hours later)

Jax: (Pours water on N/M Shin) Get off your lazy ass!!

N/M Shin: (Wakes up) what!!! Where is everybody!!?

Jax: They went home, so now you have to actually write the chapter.

N/M Shin: Crap.... Okay, here's chapter eight. And a big thanks to my new beta-reader, Taiba.

And, Taiba, the website took out part of your e-mail. I don't know what comes after the . E-mail it to me, or, e-mail me your IM address. That would be a lot easier.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Robin and Cyborg arrived at an odd time in the fight. Beast Boy had turned into a gorilla and was swinging a slightly mauled robot by its legs, whacking everything in range. He looked like he was having the time of his life. Robin gave a shrill whistle and he jumped in surprise, dropping his battered adversary. He bounded over to them in human form, while the robots began to pick themselves up.

"Hey guys, what took you so long?" He asked with a toothy grin.

"Well, it could be the fact that neither of us can fly." Cyborg replied sarcastically. "Why didn't you assign Raven to our group?"

"Because, with the girls around we lose focus." Robin explained. "Slade just loves to use them against us, and I don't want to risk that."

"Gee, you really know the hero system." BB said drolly, tracing a circle in the air with his finger.

"Um, guys?" Cyborg interrupted, pointing towards the fleeing robots.

"Titans, go!"

Beast Boy went pterodactyl and flew off, leaving the other two at the site of the bomb. _Aren't we gonna chase the bad guys? _Cyborg gave Robin a questioning glance, who's only answer was a sprint towards the bomb. Cyborg followed, trying to remember how to disarm such a device. It had been at least ten years since he last cut that precise wire, and the knowledge had long since eluded him.

_Damn, I really hope I get lucky today. _He prayed as Robin pried the metal casing from the device. Amidst the wires and buttons was a large, digital clock. It was counting down to, what he guessed, was the moment of detonation.

**"Two minutes, thirty seconds to detonation."**

"Crap!" They both yelled in unison.

"Disarm it! C'mon!" Robin urged him, fear evident in his voice.

"Um, Ummm... Okay, it was the thick, blue wire. I'm sure of it." Cyborg said, his eyes scanning the interior of the machine.

"Holy shit!"

Both of the titans stared in horror at the criss-crossing wires, all of which had been tediously spray painted blue. Well, they were sure it was the blue wire now. But, they were also totally screwed.

**"Two minutes to detonation."**

"What do we do now?!" Robin screamed frantically.

Cyborg's robotic brain raced for a solution. He could only think of one thing. "Okay, evacuate the city."

"What?!! Do you know how long that will take? Hours, and nobody listens to us anyway!!" Robin yelled even louder, perspiration began to drip down his face, falling down the edge of his mask.

"Do you ever take that thing off?" Cyborg asked, pointing to his mask.

"You're so stupid!" Robin screamed, pushing him over. "Get outta the way, I'll handle the bomb!"

**"One minute, twenty seconds to detonation."**

"Figure it out yet?" Cyborg asked from behind him.

"Stop breathing down my neck, you metal-head." Robin mumbled angrily.

"Geez, no need to get so pissed." Cyborg growled, walking away.

"Where the hell are you going?" Robin yelled after him.

**"Fifty seconds to detonation."**

"Does that answer your question?" He yelled back. "I'm leaving before I get blown up!"

"I thought you were my friend!!" Robin screamed back at him.

An uncomfortable silence fell after those few words, save for the ticking of the device. It gave a Cyborg a chill, cooling off his body, which had become hot with anger. _He's right, I'm not gonna leave my friend. Wow, that sounded corny._

"I...I am, don't worry man, this bomb's licked." He said encouragingly, running back over to him.

"Do you know how to stop it?" Robin asked, moving over so that his friend could have room.

"How long do we have?"

**"Ten seconds to detonation."**

"Hurry, hurry, for god's sake hurry!" Robin begged, his heart racing.

"I wouldn't be dissing god right now." Cyborg warned, giving a silent prayer.

**"Six seconds to detonation."**

Cyborg cut one of the thicker wires, but the clock still ran.

"Man, Slade pumped this thing full of dummy wires!" Cyborg moaned, sweating even more.

**"Three seconds to detonation."**

"Okay, last ditch effort!" Robin exclaimed, punching the digital clock. It didn't even dent under his clenched fist, which was now pounding with pain.

"Gee, thanks Einstein!" Cyborg yelled.

**"One second to detonation."**

Cyborg and Robin braced themselves for impact, shielding their faces with their arms and Robin with his cape. Their legs dug into the hard concrete as they gritted their teeth. The clock ticked its last second...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX-MUAHAHAHAHA, I'm so evil-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Batman swung from his rope, getting under Starfire and delivering her a harsh kick in the stomach. She flew another few feet in the air before cascading downwards. Raven caught her and dropped her safely to the ground, then flew back up and, forming a razor-sharp piece of her power, cut the imposter's rope. The robot shot out another rope, this time wrapping it around Raven's ankle. The grapple was sharp against her skin, causing small droplets of blood to fall on the poser's face. She cried out in pain as she formed another blade, but a violent shock erupted from the rope. Blue electricity buzzed around her as she fell, smoking, to the ground.

"Raven!" Connie swooped down and caught her. "Wren, get down there and kill that thing!"

Hellion glided down towards his target, chuckling slightly at his old pet name. "You know I hate that name!"

(A/N Wren is Connie's annoying nickname for Darren. Not only is it the last syllable in his name, but it is also the name of a bird. He hates it, because a Wren is a wimpy little bird.)

"Besides," He added, dodging a punch from the dark knight, "You should take care of him, he's skilled in hand-to-hand, and I need to heal my mom and Star."

"Fine, if you don't think you can handle It." she replied, throwing her red fireball's in the robot's face. The skin on its head sizzled and melted away, dripping off of it like molasses.

"That's just gross." Darren said, making a disgusted face. He kneeled down next to Raven, his eyes glowing as her body shone a dark blue. She stopped smoking and got up, the numbness leaving her limbs.

"Thanks," She replied, "But you could still use some work."

"Gee, I'm sorry I'm not a professional. After all, I've had these powers for almost two hours now." He said sarcastically, returning to his human form after seeing the robot, now a puddle of metal on the pavement.

"Well," Wildfire said, walking over to them, "Am I good, or am I good?"

"C'mon," Raven interrupted, after healing Star, "Green lantern has been spotted in Atlanta."

"What's the hurry? We're halfway through with these robots and it hasn't even been a day." Darren asked.

"Slade said we have three days, but I wouldn't trust his word if it was written in the Bible." Starfire explained, taking off.

Darren transformed and followed suit with the rest of his team. This was easy... A little too easy, and from what his parents had told him, Slade wasn't to be trusted, ever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-Oh no, GL's in Atlanta! I'm gonna die-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Time seemed to stand still for the two heroes as they awaited impact, but Cyborg had been counting the seconds. _One, two, three, four... Why aren't we dead yet? _He opened his eyes, peering out from above his thick metal arm.

"Boo!"

"Ahhh!" Cyborg yelled, falling over onto the hard pavement.

He heard a familiar laugh in front him, and opened his eyes to the also familiar face. His heart almost leapt with joy, that and relief.

"What would you two do without me?" Jinx said, laughing and helping Cyborg up.

"Why'd you have to go and scare me with all that 'boo' stuff?" Cyborg asked, dusting himself off.

"Gee, you're welcome." She said, rolling her eyes.

"What did you do?" Robin asked, walking up to the now harmless device.

"Hello, I jinxed it! That's what I do!" She said, making it sound obvious.

"Good thing you were here." Cyborg sighed. "I thought we were toast."

"Yeah, I saw you a few minutes ago and followed you, because I wanted to apologize. So, I'm sorry." Jinx explained.

"Well, that's okay- Hey, wait a minute! If you were there the whole time, why didn't you stop the bomb sooner!?" Cyborg yelled.

"And miss all this fun?" Jinx said loudly, causing herself to fall over in laughter.

"Yeah Cy, you should've seen your face," Robin chuckled, "If you still could, I bet you would've pissed yourself."

Jinx laughed even harder from her place on the ground.

"Okay, make fun of Cy time is over. Now we need to find BB." Cyborg said, pushing some buttons on his arm. "His signal is coming from downtown, let's go." Cyborg and Robin took off running.

"Aren't you coming?" Cyborg asked, stopping to see that Jinx wasn't following them.

Jinx looked shocked for a second, then nodded and bounded over to them.

"She can come, but remember what I said. Slade will use any trick in the book, and loves it when he plays with your feelings." Robin warned as Jinx walked over.

They took off, leaping from roof to roof. With a new member, they had new hope, but it would all die down soon. Soon, they would discover Slade's real plan. His true intentions, so much worse than any plan he had ever come up with. He had never been prouder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wow, that was actually pretty good! MUA-HA-HA-HA!!! No writer's block can shield itself from my insanity!!

Jax: What?

Zephyr: Just nod and walk away...

Jax: Why are you acting so...sane all of a sudden?

Zephyr: Eh, N/M Shin can be the insane one this time.

Jax: Okay, so, the next chapter will be up...whenever she gets around to it. But, between laziness, school, work, and writer's block, I wouldn't be expecting it very soon.

Zephyr: So, as always, Read, review, repeat.

N/M Shin: (From kitchen) What's with all these sporks, knifoons, and forkettes? It's like a freakin' Doctor Seuss kitchen in here!

Jax: (Sigh) I'll go get the straightjacket...


	9. Bloodthirsty

It all starts here.

Where my pages fall from their place,

Onto the street where the words are erased

By the ever pounding

Blinding sheets of rain.

Never to be read again

You'll never learn of my past sin

The words blurred

But it can't erase the pain.

A book abandoned on a shelf

Unable to destroy itself

Where anyone could read its hallowed words

Gathering dust while you read another

A book you could forever smother

With the adoration that I crave from this dark world.

Inside me lies a story

A story of unimagined sadness

A story no one can read

It would drive them into madness

But it's like no one will even try

No one even tries to pry

Apart my yellowed pages and take in,

My unforgiving sin.

Is it the title?

Does it bore you?

The lack of pictures

To ignore you

But I'm afraid I cannot illustrate,

These pictures filled with hate.

Do the bloodstains

Really scare you?

Every drop shed

Do they dare you?

To ask me where I lost all of my red,

Now I bleed black instead.

This book gave you more fear than knowledge

So here I stand, perched on the edge

Staring at the jagged rocks below

I hope you never know.

The wind whips harshly at my hair

Soon it stops, and I lay there

Do I dare to open up my eyes?

See the blood-red skies.

Am I impaled upon the rocks?

I cannot hear the bloody drops,

I look upwards

And only see the sky.

How dare you ask me why.

Cradled in your warm embrace

I feel the tears fall from your face

I realize that you just caught me now.

Wow.

You read my book

And read it over

Still could not grasp what get me sober

So busy hiding

While I was being read.

What went on in my head?

You'd rather read me instead?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Doomsday was nearing for the not-so-teen Titans, but anyone on the street wouldn't know it. They weren't having a conversation about their desperate situation or their teammate's well-being. They weren't crying or screaming or even frowning. They weren't cussing each other out in frustration. They were hopping from rooftop to rooftop on their way to their green friend. Neither of them was sure how they started singing it, but they were.

"Everywhere we go-oh." Robin started out.

"Everywhere we go-oh." Cy and Jinx echoed.

"People wanna know-oh."

"People wanna know-oh."

They sang it the entire way there, but it was barely a whisper by the time they got to their friend's location. You don't sing at the top of your lungs when you're trying to follow someone to their secret base. It just doesn't work like that.

They found Beast Boy, after four hours of roof-hopping, crouching over a manhole. They couldn't see his face, covered by his lengthened emerald hair, and he was doubled over in a cat-like position. Cyborg hadn't noticed his friend's slightly longer hair. Maybe being together with someone rather than being alone really did affect your appearance, even if only a little.

He raised his head as Jinx leaped from the nearest building, landing soundlessly on the ground in front of him. She bent over to get a better look at the manhole, which was uncovered, but didn't have the rotting smell that most sewers have.

"Why doesn't this sewer stink?" She said rhetorically.

Gar's mouth fell wide open before he transformed into a tiger and pounced on Jinx. He pinned her hands above her head and snarled, making Jinx flinch and struggle. Beast Boy let out his retractable claws, barely scraping the skin on her arms.

"Are you working for Slade?" He thought-spoke, baring his teeth.

"Geez, what is your problem!?" Jinx yelled, while twisting her body so that her feet were flat on the ground. She flipped up, causing BB to land flat on his back. He de-transformed out of shock and was about to leap for her again, but Cyborg and Robin came running over.

"Beast Boy, it's okay. Jinx is here to help." Cy yelled, getting between him and the sorceress.

"Pardon my French but...ARE YOU PLUMB LOCO!!" He yelled back. "Jinx was probably rented from the H.I.V.E. by Slade so we wouldn't stop his big plan, and now she's gonna betray us right when we're a millisecond away from beating him and cost us all our lives!"

He inhaled, having said all of that in one breath.

"You done?"

"Yah, I'm done."

"Look," Cyborg assured him, "I know you don't trust her, but she hasn't seen Slade in almost twenty years. I know for a fact that she hasn't. She's helping, so just deal with it."

"...How do you know she hasn't seen Slade?" Beast Boy questioned timidly, as if it were a forbidden question.

"I've been..." He searched for the right words, "...Monitoring her."

"...And, when's the last time you 'monitored' her?" he asked again, making air quotes.

He sighed, "...About...three weeks. But I know she wouldn't betray us like that, okay?"

"Betray? Wouldn't she have to be on our side to betray us?" Beast Boy pried further, he really did know the answer, but this was so much fun!

Robin smiled. "Your interrogation skills have gotten a lot better!"

Cyborg growled. Jinx laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Maybe we should check up on the guys." Raven suggested as they flew towards Atlanta.

"I am sure that they are unharmed." Starfire assured her, gliding closer to her side.

"Okay, maybe they are. Let's call the guys, because I'm bored and sick of looking at rooftops."

"Well, in that case..."

"Wait," Darren flew up ahead of his mother and crossed his arms over his furry chest, "What if they're tracking Slade? We might give their position away by calling them."

"...You're right. Good call, kid." Raven sighed. "Are your wings getting tired? I could levitate you if you want."

Darren nodded. "Thanks, they are getting a little sore, and I don't think it's good to stay in this form for a really long time."

But his wings really weren't all that tired. _I hate using this demon form, even if it does make my powers stronger. _He thought as he was surrounded in a black aura. He returned to his normal state, and felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his mind.

_This demon form, it isn't me. All that drives this demon is adrenaline, it wants to kill everything, race everyone, and it can't even sit still. But this demon can use my powers so much better than I ever could; I bet I couldn't even cure a hangnail in human form. _He thought as he sat down in his little bubble. Darren brought his knees up to his chin and hugged his legs closer. _But that demon can have all the blood he wants in battle, because that's the only thing he's good for._

He looked out from the bubble, gazing at the clouds as they rolled past. Connie was flying comfortably next to Raven, right above Darren's head. He had never noticed how much she looked like Star. But she lacked the naïve look that her mother had so well mastered.

That, and her was much darker.

"If you're that bored, we could always play I-spy. C'mon Rae, I spy something... white!"

"Clouds?"

"Damn, you're good."

"Connie!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-I spy something...lyrical-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, the other half of the Titans was wading their way through the sewers. But they weren't waist deep in raw sewage; they were waist deep in clear, crisp, cold water. Obviously, this wasn't a real sewer.

They could hear the Slade-bots splashing ahead of them, and Robin signaled them to go faster. After about twenty minutes of chase, the robots stopped, and stepped onto a large metal platform. A blue light emitted from the machine, and before they knew it, the robots were gone. They had vanished into thin air, right before their eyes.

"...A teleporter." Robin said, his mouth agape, as he walked towards the platform.

"Add that to the weird list." BB joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I've been meaning to build one of these." Robin said, pointing a thumb towards the machine.

"...So, are we gonna follow them?" Jinx asked. She felt more than a bit uncomfortable around the other Titans. She knew they didn't trust her.

"Yeah, it's risky, but we'll use the teleporter." Robin said disapprovingly, walking up to the platform. "Brace yourselves, teleporting isn't an easy ride."

The titans were surrounded in an electric blue glow, before they disappeared into thin air. But that one, irrational action would jeopardize their entire mission. They had no idea where the teleporter would send them. It ended up sending them to the worst possible place they could be.

Atlanta.

XXXXXXXXXXXX-Dun dun dunnnn-XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wildfire had the wind knocked out of her as she was slammed against a brick wall by a green beam of energy. The Green Lantern imposter had something that the other robots couldn't even dream of.

That robot had GL's ring.

The green light slammed her again and again against the cold brick of the wall, which was slowly crumbling behind her. The attacks seemed to hurt less and less as she lost feeling in her limbs. The corners of her vision were turning black, and then suddenly her entire field of vision was navy blue.

"You okay?" The demon asked, forming a similar shield around himself.

She coughed, making blood trickle from the corner of her mouth. "...Not really."

"If that robot has GL's ring, then that means Slade really does have the Justice League hostage." He said, making conversation as he healed her. "But I wouldn't worry about them, they're veteran superheroes."

Connie rose to her feet. "They have my Grandfather; I can't take that sitting down."

Darren laughed. "I wish Slade had _my_ Grandfather."

"That would be funny." Connie chuckled lightly. "But c'mon, we need to squash this robot."

Darren raised his shield and ran into battle, leaving Connie by the wall of the building. This was getting a little too easy. You shouldn't be able to joke about your grandpas while you're trying to foil a Slade-plot. Slade had something else in store. Connie knew it, Raven and BB knew it, Star and Jinx knew it, Robin and Cy knew it, but she was worried that Darren didn't. He hadn't been himself lately.

_That's right, demon. Get your kicks now, because I can't have you being bloodthirsty 24-7. So you just keep on killing._

_I hope you're having fun._

_**Oh, but I am...**_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-...I wish Slade had _my_ grandfather-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Okay, I could continue this chapter for a little longer, but I've got some serious cramming to do. Jax, Zeph, finish the Author's Note for me.

Jax: Aye aye, cap'n.

Zephyr: Sorry N/M Shin hasn't updated in awhile, its exam week and she's been busy cramming.

Jax: She got the day off of school to vote, but decided she should write the chapter instead.

Zephyr: She didn't vote, just so that she could update this story...sniff, she loves you all so much...

Jax: And the poem at the beginning of the chapter had nothing to do with the story, N/M Shin just had to write that. Sometimes she just needs to get poems out of her head, or she can't fit anything else in it.

Zephyr: We're also sorry if you think we left you at a cliffhanger...it wasn't intended.

Jax: Next chapter should be a songfic. So look forward to that.

Zephyr: Oh, and, N/M Shin left you guys a memo...

Memo: Raven actually didn't kill Trigon. She found a way to temporarily cut off her powers, so that she can feel emotions. However, she can't feel and use her powers at the same time. This means that a little of Trigon's influence might be present in Darren...

Zephyr: Dun dun dunnnn!!!

Jax: So, as always,

Read, Review, Repeat.

Zephyr: AND VOTE FOR BUSH!!!! YOU LITTLE DEMOCRATIC MONKEYS!!!


	10. Extraordinary Hostage

Whoot! N/M Shin's back with a brand new chapter!

You may jump up and down now.

So, there will not be a sappy crap-tacular poem in this chapter.

Jax: Thank you God!

Zephyr: Hey, I like N/M Shin's poems!

Jax: I don't.

N/M Shin: I don't.

Random reviewers: We don't.

Zephyr:...Oh.

N/M Shin: Let's see, where did we leave off last time?

Jax: They were just beginning to fight GL, and the other group was teleported to Atlanta.

N/M Shin: Thanks. And a special thanks to Daughter of Trigon, for giving me a great idea to warp the story so it makes me happier. DOT, you get a special present! When I get a scanner on the 26th, you will be emailed an exclusive hand-drawn picture of N/M Shin and the gang! It'll be signed and everything! And trust me, I can draw.

I just need to know what clothes you would like to wear in the pic and you could be in it too! So tell me in a review.

And Taiba, if I didn't send you this chapter, you can hit me with a stick. In fact, Taiba, tell me what you look like and what you would like to wear, and I'll send you a pic on the 26th too! But I'd better not get a bunch of reviews asking for pics, because these people earned it.

Em, you can have one too, just tell me what you would like to wear in the pic.

Jax: I like the pics she draws of us, they make me look hot!

Zephyr: She already drew one? Let me see!

(Jax and Zephyr ogle pic while N/M Shin starts the chapter)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-Screw Kerry, I hate him-XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beast Boy's stomach lurched as his molecules were transported to hell-knows-where. It wasn't like Robin to jump into a dangerous situation like this, no, that was more like himself. _Even after all these years, Robin just goes loco when were after Slade. A good leader shouldn't do that._

No, a good leader should be cool in all situations, and never rush into things. They should be firm when they lead, but soft when they speak. Robin wasn't always a very good leader, but no one ever really questioned him.

_The only one of us that would make a REALLY good leader is Darren. _He thought. _I hope they're okay._

"Hey, Beast Boy." Jinx's voice brought him out of his daze. "C'mon, we're here."

"Right, sorry." Beast Boy said, running over to his friends. _At least I know one of my loved ones is safe._

"How could you not notice we were done transporting?" Cyborg questioned. "I was ready to barf."

"Told you it was rough," Robin confirmed, surveying the room, "Any idea where we are?"

The room was dark, and only a small shard of light filtered into the area from innumerable holes in the ceiling. A faint clanking sound could be heard, barely audible, but somehow familiar to the Titans. Only one could actually recognize it.

"What's that clanking sound?" Jinx asked, straining to hear better.

Robin paused before answering, as if he was letting it sink in.

"...Gears."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-What did BB mean? Who is safe?-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Booyah!" Darren yelled in victory as he pounded the robot in the face, the metal denting beneath his demon fist.

The robot began to fall to the ground with the force of the punch, but Darren jumped up in the air and delivered a roundhouse kick to its gut. Then he slammed the robot with his fist so that it fell face-forward into the street.

"Thank you, Tekken 4!" He smiled a toothy grin.

The robot lifted its hand, aiming its ring straight at him.

"Darren, look out!" Wildfire flew at break-neck speed and tackled him out of harm's way, just as the green beam of light sliced through the air.

"You're such an idiot."

"I know."

Raven levitated a bus and slammed it over and over on top of the imposter. Soon she had created a large crater in the street, and it was growing larger by the second. Darren put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Just get the ring; you don't need to pound him like that." Darren said calmly, resuming his human form with relief.

Raven deposited the bus safely on the street and kinetically brought the ring to her. "Well that was easy."

"Would it be too cliché to say 'A little too easy'?" Darren asked, showing his father's side.

Everyone nodded.

"So where's the next robot?" Connie asked, floating down to the ground beside Starfire.

"Reports haven't come in yet." Raven responded, sitting down.

"...So, what? Do we just sit here and wait?" Connie asked dejectedly.

"Yes."

"Okay then, I spy something...red!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-Hmmm, stop sign?-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Did you just say...gears?" Cyborg asked, fear evident in his voice.

"Slade wouldn't teleport us to his hideout, would he?" Beast Boy asked. "That sounds like something I would do."

"But for my plan to succeed, I must come out of hiding."

Slade's eerily calm voice resounded in the dimly lit room, bouncing from the walls and ceiling, amplifying his voice a hundred-fold until it became almost unbearable. Somewhere far off in the room a light clicked on, and Slade's silhouette appeared in front of a huge spotlight. The Titans had to shield their eyes against the blinding light.

From behind his cape, Robin could be heard, growling like a feral animal. "All right, let's kick his a-"

"Wait!" Jinx interrupted, "He has a hostage!"

"What?" Upon closer inspection, the Titans could that Slade had a young girl pinned to his chest by his arm. She had to support herself on his arm just so that she could breathe, and appeared to be only about 10 or 11 years old. Yet, she didn't shed a single tear. In the darkness, no one could quite make out her features.

"Why yes," Slade said seductively, after a few seconds pause, "but this girl is no ordinary hostage. Isn't that right, Beast Boy?"

All eyes turned to their green friend.

"Beast Boy, what is he talking about?"

"You mean he never told you? You, his best friends?" Slade taunted. "Go ahead my boy, tell them all about her."

Beast Boy shook with anger under the gaze of his friends, he let out a low snarl before exploding in anger.

"You bastard! Where did you find her? How did you hear about her? If you hurt one hair on her head, I'll kill you so fast that hell won't have made reservations for you yet! You FUCKING BASTARD!"

"Watch your language," Slade teased further, "There is a child in the room."

"Beast Boy," Robin questioned, "Who is that?"

"She-she's my d-daughter." Beast Boy shuddered, the anger burning inside him as he explained.

"After we had Darren, we realized that having close ties with four superheroes made him a moving target for our enemies. By the time we figured that out, he had already become family to you and Star." Beast Boy looked Robin in the eye. "We decided we wanted another one, but we didn't want it to be at risk until its powers were strong enough to defend itself. We kept it...her, a secret from you, Star, Connie, everyone but me and Raven and Darren. No one would know about her until we were sure she could take care of herself. But Slade found her...somehow."

The other Titans looked back up at Slade.

"Her name is Hannah, and she means the world to me."

"Hannah? An interesting name." Slade chided.

"It's not interesting, it's completely normal, you stupid bastard." Beast Boy clenched his fists in fury, his growl growing deeper in his throat.

"And what exactly are her powers?' Slade asked, lifting her up by her wrists to examine her at eye level. He answered his own question. "Let's see if she can heal herself."

He pulled out a switch.

Hannah struggled, but didn't emit more than a grunt. She didn't even flinch as he raised the blade to her arm, and barely cringed as he sliced a shallow line down her lower arm. The red blood dripped on the floor. "And I half-expected it to be black."

Slade watched as skin graphed itself over the cut, completely and effortlessly healing it in a matter of seconds.

"Impressive, but I wonder, could she handle more...extreme damage?"

Beast Boy snapped.

He completely snapped. Testing his daughter's abilities like a common racehorse, putting her through her paces just to watch her suffer, Slade was being...inhumane. But he was pleased that she wasn't letting her suffering show. If Hannah could do anything, it was conceal her emotions. Though, he wished she didn't have to. Even with this calming thought, he charged like a mad animal.

Beast Boy roared as he transformed into a lion. His claws retracted from his large paws, clicking on the marble floor as he ran towards the man he had come to know as a manifested form of evil.

Slade was momentarily distracted by Beast Boy's actions, giving Hannah an opportunity to strike. However, she found she couldn't concentrate hard enough to use her powers. Slade had drugged her so that she wouldn't be a danger, but she couldn't not be a danger if she tried. Her mind was too hazy for her to conjure up her negative energy, but she was able to form a picture in her mind. It was blurred, but proved its purpose.

She envisioned a wolf, and then she was a wolf.

Hannah clamped her jaws around the metal that stood between her sharp fangs, and Slade's brittle skull. The metal shattered like a clay vase, but she barely sank her teeth into his head before Slade jumped back in shock.

He hid his unmasked face with his arm as he pressed a button on his belt. An army of his robots dropped from the ceiling, and sprung into action before they even landed. Slade ran, but Hannah was on his tail with her father following.

_How are you?_ Beast Boy thought concernedly to Hannah, a feat he only realized was possible a few months before. As he spoke to her mind, he noticed that a blurry mist clouded her focus.

_My mind feels a bit hazy, I think that man drugged me; I can't concentrate hard enough to use my powers._ She relayed back to him, her words were slurred a bit, but she could still be understood. _I have other powers though._

_Are you saying my powers don't require thinking?_

_Yes._

_You should respect me more._

_I'll make a note of that._

Beast Boy inwardly sighed. Hannah never had really respected him as a father, just because it hadn't really had time to sink in yet. She had been training with Raven for the past eight years of her life, during that time; the only person she knew of was her mother. It was only two years ago that she mastered what took her mother 17 years to gain power over; her demonic powers.

She respected no one but Raven, and let no emotions show on her perfect features. She wasn't his little girl; she was the shadow of that little girl.

_I'm so glad I have your default powers, in case I forget how to think._

Beast Boy growled.

_Can you contact your mother?_

_...No, I can't think hard enough._

_I'll try then._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX-I'll describe Hannah later-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Darren and the gang were sitting around being useless.

"I'm so **bored**." Connie groaned, rolling over onto her stomach and placing her chin in her hands. "And hungry, can we get something to eat?"

Raven hesitated before answering. "Alright, you and Darren go and bring some food, but don't wander too far, and remember to bring enough for us too."

Connie leaped up from the ground and grabbed Darren, flying both of them away towards a source of food.

_Raven, we have a situation._ Beast Boy's voice rang from inside her head. He told her of their present crisis.

Raven flinched, startled.

"Friend Raven, what troubles you?" Starfire asked, concerned.

_Raven, go ahead and tell Star. There's no need to keep her a secret anymore._

Raven sighed. "Starfire, there's someone I need to tell you about."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX-BUNNIES!-XXXXXXXXXXXX

Hannah was easily five and a half feet tall, obscuring her age even more than her solemn essence. Her hair was a deep, dark, almost black shade of blue, though you could clearly see its sapphire tint in the sunlight. Her skin was tanned to the point of being golden, and all of her animal forms were this color as well. Beast Boy had often compared the color of her eyes to the color of a fiery metal, they shined and burned in hues of red, orange, and traces of silver. And every time he though of tears dripping from the edges of those burning embers, his heart ached.

He never had to worry about this, because no matter how much she wanted to, Hannah could never cry.

And this made him cry.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX-Had to fit that in somewhere-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And there you have it, chapter ten, in all its glory.

I understand that this is more than a major plot twist, but I love it in when BB and Rae's kid is a girl, and I just couldn't help it. The only one's in Raven's family who have that much trouble with their powers are the women, so Darren doesn't have that kind of difficulty.

She can also morph into animals, which I had to give to one of the kids.

And she doesn't think of Beast Boy as a father, how sad.

The next chapter might not be up for a while, or it may be up tomorrow, I have no idea, so...just wait.

And Taiba, I know you got the e-mail and read it. Why you didn't proofread the chapter is still a mystery, but I will no longer be sending you chapters. To all of the rest of you, I had this chapter ready by Sunday, but thank Taiba for it not being put up until now.

Okay, not mad at Taiba anymore. (Takes deep breath)

Jax and Zephyr will not have any lines in this chapter. It is eleven thirty, I am tired, I have class tomorrow, shut up.

And as always, read, review, repeat.


	11. Blood Of The Hunt

(N/M Shin sits in corner, holding a bloody rag to her lower lip)

Jax: N/M Shin can't talk to you right now, because she did something stupid...again.

Zephyr: N/M Shin has succeeded in a feat that has practically split her lip in half, because she decided to be stupid...well, more stupid than usual. She was warned about it since she started first grade.

Jax: And this is irony folks, you know how N/M Shin can't write without coke? Well, it was coke that did this to her!

(N/M Shin whimpers through her bloody rag from corner)

Zephyr: She decided to open a coke half-way, which she does a lot, but when she opened it, the pop-tab came off.

Jax: Long story short, she got her lower lip pinched between a hard, sharp piece of tin and...another hard, sharp piece of tin. Being unable to gently slide it out, she was forced to rip it out, and is now bleeding profusely.

Zephyr: (Shudders) I cringe just _thinking_ about it.

Jax: Oh god, I know... (Shudders) But don't be surprised, faithful reviewers. If you didn't already know, N/M Shin is the dumbest creature on the face of the earth. Do not cry for her, for she deserved it.

Zephyr: Well, she can still type, so let's get this chapter started!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-Learn from the mistakes of idiots-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(AARRRGGH! I wrote HALF THE FUCKIN CHAPTER and then DELETED IT!)

(...I'm really stupid today...)

Raven sighed as she sat cross-legged on the street, though it didn't make her feel any better. Starfire was silent on the opposite end of the pavement, her knees were pressed up to her chin as she sat in deep thought.

"...Well?"

"Well what? You have a child that you've hidden from me and everyone else for the past eight years, that is quite straight-forward."

"...Are you mad?"

"I -Why did you not tell us of her? Connie would have loved to have another girl to do the 'hanging out' with, and I am sure she would not be a burden of any kind upon-"

"She wasn't really...ready for introductions. We were going to tell you about her in a few weeks, but...well."

"And why are you telling me of her now?"

"...She was...He-Slade found her."

Starfire shot up from the ground as if she had been loaded on a spring. "What? Should we not save her?"

"Gar-Beast Boy already rescued her; she's helping them with Slade. She even de-masked him."

"Then let us locate and aid our friends! Come Raven, they may need our assistance!" Star said, pulling her friend up from the ground.

"Star, I like having _both _of my arms," Raven snapped, pulling her arm from her friend's strong grasp, "And besides, our mission is to stop the robots. If we skip out on our task, it will jeopardize the entire mission!"

"But-"

"She has both mine and Gar's powers. She will be fine."

"...One can only hope, friend Raven."

XXXXXXXXXXX-Ack! I got blood on the keyboard-XXXXXXXXX

Hannah and Beast Boy continued to tail Slade as he ran through the narrow corridor. To their dismay, Slade did not seem to slow down his frightened pace, at least, to one's dismay.

_Feels good to have him running away in fear. That bastard should have been stepped on a long time ago. _

_...What?_

_The hall is getting too narrow, change into something smaller._

_Gotcha._

Beast Boy turned into an emerald fox as he loped through the thinning passageway. To his relief, the fox could see much better in the dim light than the lion could. That seemed strange, couldn't cats see well in the dark?

The fox form was much faster, and it took all of Beast Boy's self-control not to speed ahead and put the man, if you could him that, out of his misery. But he knew, oh boy did he know, that Robin should be the one to commit the act. Slade had long been under enough penalties for the death sentence. The Titans were free to kill him as they pleased.

Hannah squinted as light entered her vision from far into the tunnel. The never-ending path was finally leading somewhere, but out in the open, Slade could easily run out of their grasp.

Both sharing the same thought, they sped faster onto his heels. A green and a tan fox, loping with their mouths open in excitement.

_Nothin' like the thrill of the hunt._

_Nothin' like the _blood _of the hunt._

_...You scare me sometimes._

XXXXXXXXX-Now the caps lock key is all...pinky-XXXXXXXXX

"You think they'll like what we got em?" Darren asked with a grin as they exited the abandoned building.

"I'm gonna tell you this right now," Connie shared his grin, "There isn't any girl in the _universe _that doesn't like Chick-fil-a."

They walked a few more minutes in silence, though it wasn't uncomfortable. The entire city was devoid of life, it just made one appreciate the silence. Even hyperactive cheerfuls like Connie.

When they arrived on the scene of where they had left their mothers, the silence was shattered.

"You are such a compulsive bitch!"

"Well you are Glargnot!"

"...Touché, well you're a ...Glorbag Varblernilk!"

"How dare you use my own language against me?"

"Fine then, I'll use my own language!"

(The following phrases from Raven are...very bad. And...I would have to bring the rating up to say them.)

Darren's mouth and eyes were wide open shock. "M-Mom...you-"

"Geez Rae, join the navy!"

When she had clearly lost the verbal brawl, Starfire tackled Raven to the ground, where they had a good old fashioned cat-fight. Well, as old fashioned as a cat-fight _can _be with Raven and Star.

Darren transformed and separated them with his demonic strength. "C'mon, I don't wanna be the adult here."

"What were you guys fighting about anyway?" Connie asked as she checked for injuries. There were several, Star clearly won the physical battle.

"What matters is that I would have whooped Star's ass if I didn't have to shut off my powers to avoid blowing something up!"

"You were clearly the loser of the battle of force, Raven!"

Darren picked them up by the collar of their shirts to avoid another confrontation. They were easily four feet off of the ground.

"And had you known the meaning of my Tameranean insults, you would have covered your ears in fear! You Zalgoth Embadrow!"

Wildfire flinched at the Tameranean curse, earning a confused look from hellion.

"...You don't wanna know."

"...Of course I don't..."

XXXXXXXXXX-Heh, that was fun to write-XXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Slade had led his pursuers up to the roof. The roof of the building was simply a rotting canvas, holes and rips were scattered across it, along with incredulous bloodstains upon its jungle-green surface. Several bullet holes also adorned its array of wear.

And, while this canvas may be able to hold two foxes, it couldn't support a man for very long.

It took Slade a few seconds to realize this.

"...Oh, shit."

The foxes stepped forward gingerly, but the canvas held.

Slade searched frantically for a way out. He couldn't fight, the canvas would never hold. He couldn't jump; the warehouse roof was easily one-hundred feet above the ground. But he did have an ace.

"Now now, did you not forget that in this game, I hold all the cards?" Slade took the familiar trigger from one of his many compartments.

_Ooh, he's got a pretty button!_

Hannah leapt, not knowing the trigger's purpose. Before he could stop her she attacked, her teeth sank into the man's shoulder, and the button was pressed. Then the trigger was dropped.

The trigger dropped in a puddle of blood as a mushroom cloud formed in the distance.

And guess who was still waiting right next to the bomb.

That's right.

XXXXXXXXXX-Dun dun duuun!-XXXXXXXXX

Holy crap, I got the chapter up! And in the course of almost three weeks, my lip is almost healed!

God, it hurts so bad though...

Jax: Well, you won't make that mistake again, will you?

N/M Shin: What? (Slurps half-open can of coke)

Jax: -_-;_

N/M Shin: Sluuuuurp...ow!


	12. Last Tears

Okie dokey...

(N/M Shin stands around a pile of ashes with her muses and her best friends that came to hang out)

N/M Shin: Zephyr...what is this? (Death Glare)

Zeph: ...That's... (Gulp) ...T-Terra.

N/M Shin: ... (Continues death glare)... (Realizes) ...OH! I thought it was something important. That's cool then.

(Zephyr sighs in relief and all of N/M Shin's friends look confuzzled)

Dakota: Hey _-N/M Shin's real name-,_ who's Terra?

Fiona: Yeah, and when did you get a dragon?

Kaitlyn: And why is there a werewolf asleep on your couch?

N/M Shin: Because I have guests sleeping in his room!

All friends: ...ummm...what?

Hyato: Hey _-N/M Shin's real name-_, gimme a five! (Short Japanese guy swings in through window)

N/M Shin: GET OUT OF HERE YOU PERVERTED FREAK! ...AND HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE? THIS IS THE HUNDRETH STORY OF MY IMAGINARY BUILDING!

Hyato: I am like your American freak/hero, Spiderman! (Swings out of window on web with N/M Shin's KFC he stole just now)

Fiona: SPIDERMAN? WHERE! (Jumps out of window with fangirl-obsessioness)

Kaitlyn: Well, _Invader Zim_ is on so, bye! (Rides out of door on her horse)

Dakota: (blinks) Umm, why did you put everyone in your fic anyway?

N/M Shin: I wanted to prove to all of my viewers that I have friends.

Dakota: And... Why did you edit it so no one knows your real name?

N/M Shin: Because I HATE my real name, you know that.

Dakota: Well, viewers out there. Her real name starts with an-(N/M Shin tackles her to the ground an then hog ties her easily because she is a vegetarian and is therefore weak)

N/M Shin: If you go any further then I'll have to brainwash all of them again!

Dakota: ...Again? Well, anyway, her last name is-

(N/M Shin knocks her friend unconscious and drags her to closet that was once occupied by Terra)

Jax: (Waking up) She is one of your weirdest friends...

N/M Shin: ...Have you met my friends?

(They both sigh as Fiona's scream of 'Spiderman' rings through the city and Kaitlyn's horse whinnies as they quote Gir on their way home while Dakota bangs on closet door)

Zephyr: Anyway, if you didn't understand, the bombs were in the robots, so a nuke just exploded right next to Darren and his group and one in Dallas where the WW robot was. But, we don't really care about the one in Dallas.

N/M Shin: This chapter will be mostly a flashback and therefore very short. I'm on my Dad's computer with the sucky keyboard because we have company in the computer room. But, my sister brought the cat over to visit with us for a week, so, yay!

Jax: Yah, the cat's name is puppy...

(Puppy acts adorable distracting Jax while he pees on all his stuff)

N/M Shin: Puppy the Kitten will be a temporary muse while Terra is... coughindesposedcough.

XXXXXXXXXXX-Flashbacks will be in italics (DUH)-XXXXXXXXXX

Oh man, my head... What happened last night?

...Heheh, I made a funny.

Geez, my whole body hurts, even my hair... What happened?

**What do you mean 'What happened'?**

I mean, what happened to make me hurt so much?

**Let me think, you were standing next to nuke, and a psychotic guy who's been past his prime since your parents were your age was fingering the trigger. So, I have no idea. How about you?**

Oh...wait, who are you?

**No one really, we all talk to ourselves sometimes.**

Did I go crazy, or am I just dying?

**A nuke couldn't kill you in demon mode, you're probably just burned. Of course, radiation burns are known to be pretty bad.**

...I wish I had paid more attention to radiation in science and history...

**...Me too.**

Ugh, I'm just...so...tired...

_Then everything went dark._

XXXXXXXXXX-Flashback-XXXXXXXXX

_Black phantoms stalked in an ever-closing circle around the young boy. The only light in the area around them being a moonbeam directly on the figure of the boy, but his attackers remained shrouded in mist and shadows. _

_Growls sounded from their throats, ringing in his ears, louder and louder, until he collapsed with pain. He clasped his hands over his ears, trying to drown out the endless haunting noises, but it kept coming, louder and louder than before. He was on his knees, the creatures coming closer and closer, the ringing growing louder and louder. _

_They knew he couldn't run, he knew he couldn't run._

_They came closer and closer, their figures finally becoming clear in the single beam of moonlight. Their jet-black fur glistened with blood and sweat as the monsters grew nearer, their smell gagging the boy. He covered his nose, then his mouth to keep the bile down. _

_They flexed their wings, bat like and torn, the sinew snapping like twigs under the foot of some great beast. He had uncovered his ears in order to cover his nose and mouth, and the growls and snaps came full-blast._

_He couldn't stand it._

_One of the beasts leapt, their jaws fixing around his bare neck._

_And he screamed as loud as he could._

_The boy woke up, sweat running, cold, down his face. He kicked off the covers and ran to his parents' room, as most five year olds would, to find solace. But when he got there, they were nowhere to be found._

"_M-Mom...D-Dad?" He whispered into the darkness. No answer._

"_Darren, what are you doing?" A small girl whispered from behind him._

_Darren jumped, startled. "Hannah, what are you doin' up?"_

"_Did I scare you?" She giggled._

_Darren stuck his lip out in defiance. "No, I just didn't figure you would be up is all. Why are you awake? Bein' up this late is only for big kids, like me."_

_She giggled again. "You were talking in your sleep, it kept me awake. Did you have a nightmare?"_

"_So what if I did? You're only, like, three, what would you know about nightmares?" He said defensively._

"_Hey, I know a bunch of stuff, you just-"_

_Darren covered her mouth, putting a finger to his lips. He paused for a second, and they could both hear voices downstairs. He led the way to the living room and they peered into the den, where their parents were having a very verbal argument._

"_Whaddya mean _dangerous_? She hasn't hurt anyone!"_

"_That's because her powers aren't strong enough yet, but one day we'll be at the park and suddenly she'll laugh and blow someone up!"_

"_Listen, Raven, she's not as dangerous as you were! She'll be fine!"_

"_No she won't! She needs training or else she'll be a danger to herself and everyone around her!"_

"_I won't let you take her away for eight years just so you can fuel your suspicions!"_

"_You think I _want _her to be an emotionless freak for the rest of her life?"_

"_If you didn't want to take Darren away then why do you want to take Han?"_

_Hannah's eyes widened at the sound of one of her many nicknames._

"_In my family, unstable emotions are only present in women. Darren will be fine, but Hannah will not!"_

"_I can't believe how selfish you're being! I don't want her to grow up not knowing me, so when her 'training' is complete she'll hate me! It happened with you and your mother, and I could never let that happen with me and my daughter!"_

"_So you would rather have her destroy everyone and everything on Earth? And you're calling me selfish?"_

"_I-She...I'm not selfish!"_

"_What do you hear when people talk to you? Do you have a little radio in your head or something! Are you even listening to yourself?"_

"_You can't take her!" Beast Boy was in tears now, sobbing on his knees. "Please!"_

"_Gar, I wish I didn't have to, but I do. I'm sorry." She knelt down next to him, rubbing his back affectionately. He caved in and wrapped his arms around her, his back convulsing in sobs. _

"_How are we gonna tell her?" he asked between his tears._

_Raven paused before she answered. ""...Hannah... I'm sorry."_

_Darren looked to his sister beside him, she was near tears, but would not let them fall. He put a hand to her shoulder and she fell into him, weeping uncontrollably as he carried her to where their parents sat waiting for them._

"_We have to tell you something... and cry all you want, because you won't be able to for a long time."_

_Those were her last tears, but they went on for hours._

XXXXXXXXXX-End flashback-XXXXXXXXX

Whoa...flashback. But, if I'm not dying, why is my life flashing before my eyes?

**That's not your life stupid that was just a memory. Judging by the feelings you have for it, you have probably repressed it 'till now.**

Man, I hurt all over. I would definitely be dead if it wasn't for bein' a demon and all.

**Yeah, and think about it, your mom had her powers turned off and Con and Star aren't demon at all.**

...Oh shit, Mom, Star, Connie!

XXXXXXXXX-Wow, painful memories for da poor demon-XXXXXXXX

And...That's chappy twelve folks!

Jax: Yep, we actually wrote another chapter.

N/M Shin: And I would like to take this time to wish all of my reviewers a merry Christmas!

Jax: Or Hanukkah, or Quanza, or whatever you celebrate!

Zephyr: Yay, happy holidays!

N/M Shin: So, in the next chapter, Darren has to get off his ass to find his friends and family, because after getting blown up by a nuke, they _might_ be hurt or something! I just put up that flashback to burn a chapter and explain a few things.

Jax: And we've got a special gift for you if you can tell us what the creatures were in Darren's nightmare!

N/M Shin: So happy holidays to:

Taiba

MOOgoestheCHICKEN

Steve-racer

Kaos kitsune

Daughter of Trigon

VashTheStampede7123

Crazytomboy

Mew-xena

Kuramie and Kaiaramith

RobinStarfire4eva

We love you!

So until you're sick with candy canes and egg nogg, see you after X-mas!


	13. Gifts and Curses, The Saddest Song

WEEEEEEEE! I IS BACK!

I went to a forum and talked to people and it was weird! They were all people who write fics and stuff like soraoathkeeper and sweetnymph and Taiba, but I replied and then one of them wrote back saying "Oh my god, N/M Shin! It's an honor!"

(Blank expression)

So now it's an HONOR meeting me? What happened?

Jax: ...You people actually think she's HONOR WORTHY?

Zephyr: (Comes out of bathroom with towel on) Hey, where'd all the hot water go!

N/M Shin: ...Jax, did you take a shower today?

Jax: ...No, did you?

N/M Shin: ...Then where did the hot water go?

Zephyr: Well, looks like we've got another mystery on our hands.

Jax: ...N/M Shin, did you, perhaps, not pay the hot water bill?

N/M Shin: ...Uhhh...You know... Showers are so overrated...

(Jax and Zeph chase N/M Shin around in circles for half an hour until they get tired and fall in a heap on the couch)

Jax: ...Why were we chasing you again?

Zeph: Who cares?

N/M Shin: Anyway, I have a new idea for the fic that might make it more fun!

Jax: Oh great, another idea you're not gonna follow through.

N/M Shin: Whaddya mean! I always follow through on my ideas!

Jax: Yeah right, like Terra, and the pics you were gonna draw, and the beta-reader and-

N/M Shin: OKAY I GET IT! Well, I'm gonna follow through on this one, okay? I'm gonna ask a question at the beginning of every chapter, and those who answer correctly in a review will get the privilege of me answering their reviews! It'll mean the author's notes will be longer, but I realized that I should try to answer reviews, and this was a fun way to do it! We'll start with a quote from one of my favorite movies!

What movie is this quote from:

"I caught you a delicious bass."

N/M Shin: I also realized that I, the song-fic maniac, only have ONE STINKIN SONGFIC! And I hardly have any Starobin fluff! Sorry to the Starobin fans, this chappy will have some! I'm just so obsessed with Raveast, I forget them. It might be hard for me to write though.

P.S.-Please stop telling me about the mistake in chapter 7 regarding the cheetah, I GET IT ALREADY!

XXXXXXXXXXXX-Songfic-_Gifts and curses_, Yellowcard- XXXXXXXXXXXX

(This part takes place before the explosion, when Robin, Cy, and Jinx are fighting the robots)

(The song says 'Mary', because it's from the S-man2 CD, just ignore it)

Robin and the others were still in shock when the robots began their attack, and had to get roughed up a bit before they got their minds back in the right gear. Cyborg, Robin, and Jinx didn't notice the first few times they were slammed against a wall or thrown to the floor, even though their skulls made thick, hard, grating thumps against the concrete and cinderblock.

**WHAM, WHAM, WHAM! **(Aren't sound effects cool?)

After getting thrown against a wall for the fourth time, Cyborg finally understood that gawking time was over.

"Hey," He said, getting up and dusting himself off, "Where'd these robots come from?"

"Well, the Mommy robot and the Daddy robot-"

"Not now Jinx, I'm serious"

Jinx threw a hex blast at three of the robots, making them explode, due to a few hundred malfunctions at once. Various parts, some still crackling with energy, flew thirty feet away into five others around them. "If you're so serious then why are you just standing there? A little help would be nice!"

Debris from the robots she had smashed fell at his feet. "You look like your doing fine without me."

"Then... go help Robin or something!"

Just then, Robin flew in the same wall that Cyborg had been thrown into a few seconds ago. Only, he was a bit more vulnerable than Cyborg.

"You okay man?" He said concernedly, helping Robin up, "That walls pretty tough."

"These stupid robots are only a distraction; we have to get rid of them, quick." Robin drew three of his mysterious disks, "Titans, go!"

"_Mary belongs to the words of a song.  
I try to be strong for her, try not to be wrong for her.  
But she will not wait for me, anymore, anymore.  
Why did I say all those things before? I was sure."_

Robin launched himself into the air, doing a mid-air flip and slamming his steel-toed shoes into two glaring metal faces. Several more robots converged on him as he took out another of his trademark gadgets.

He leapt with extraordinary speed from gleaming metal giant to giant, until he had successfully planted disks on six of the henchmen's hunched backs. They tried to grope at them with their claw-like fingers, but they were soon sparking threateningly. The devices gave a warning beep, which grew more rapid until the Slade-bots finally exploded into each other. The blast broke each of the robots in half, sending a fraction of a robotic corpse flying at twelve other metal companions, each igniting upon impact and blasting anything near them.

**Beep, beep, beepbeepbeepbeep...KABOOM!**

Six disks equal at least twenty dead robots. Simple math.

"_(She is the one), but I have a purpose,  
(she is the one), and I have to fight this,  
(she is the one), the villain I can't knock down."_

One would think that this mass destruction would require more concentration than a normal human could muster, but Robin's tactics were so his own that they were done in a daze. Some people call it being "In the Zone", but in Robin's case it was really more like "In Another Zone."

He had more on his mind than he could handle before all of this damned Slade business started; now he just couldn't seem to focus on anything but his hatred for Slade, and the mess he had gotten himself into.

Sure, his life seemed perfect in terms of money, company, and hope, but his version of a perfect life was far from what he lived in now. His visions of the future when he was a teenager were a life of ethics, and a regular family with no worries or problems. His family _would_ be perfect; he had a beautiful daughter with everything going for her, the woman of his dreams at his side, with plans for the most elegant wedding his virtual billions could afford; but that was the problem.

Does a real family have a wedding planned where their biological daughter would be one of the bridesmaids?

_I love Star, and I love Connie. Really, who wouldn't? But...we just aren't a real family. We may love each other greatly, eat together, raise each other, sign report cards...but...Star deserves better than an incomplete family. _

Truthfully, Robin knew why he was so down about the entire thing, but isn't denial so much better than the truth?

The reason Star didn't have the family she deserved, was because Robin was so afraid that he wouldn't be able to handle it. This new Slade case didn't help either; in fact, it was just making the problem worse.

_Dammit, how does he always find the perfect thing to ruin?_ Sometimes it seemed like Slade tapped into Robin's mind, finding the perfect button to push to make him as desperate as he wanted.

Robin worried for Starfire and Connie's lives much more than his own, and the thought that they could die before they were finally a family shattered every single breakable thought and hope that Robin had. Dying before your dreams can be fulfilled must be the worst fate next to dying before you can tell someone you love them. Death often reaches those that do not deserve it, simply because they are the easiest ones to be killed by those who do.

**BZZZZT!**

A bright red beam sizzled right next to his side, burning a hole in his "unburnable" cape. Apparently, the cape had a limited warranty. The heat brought him out of his daze, only find close to fifty robotic bodies littering the ground around him. Most of them were simply beaten rather than in pieces, leading anyone to the conclusion that, while he had plenty of them, no gadgets had been used.

_Sometimes, _Robin thought, _I fight better in la-la land than the real world._

But Robin was a bit short of celebrating as he was decked, hard, at the base of his neck. The sharp pain along his spine brought him to his knees, clutching the back of his head as if trying to stop the ringing in his ears. Everything started shaking in his vision, making it look like a cheap earthquake effect. It was actually his body, violently shaking from the blow to the message center of his nervous system.

If the blow had been a bit harder he might have been paralyzed, or perhaps even dead.

Another robot thundered towards him, jumping just before it reached him to kick him in the stomach. Robin doubled over in pain; leaving him unprotected from the earth-shattering punch then delivered to his jaw by a third of Slade's minions.

Robin flew into another wall, making some sand shake loose from the flimsy tarp that functioned as a ceiling. Was someone up there? He really didn't have time to bother with that.

It did hurt, unbearably in fact, but his thoughts broke through the searing pain in almost every part of his body.

_But, I didn't take all those hits for nothing,_ He smiled at his optimism, _I took them for Star._

"_I see your face with every punch I take,  
and every bone I break, it's all for you.  
And my worst pains are words I cannot say;   
still I will always fight on for you."_

Despite throbbing pain, deep depressing thoughts, and fear for the safety of his loved ones, Robin ran back into the fray with a smile.

_But, am I being selfish? _A moment of self-doubt arose within him as the thought occurred, _if I feel this bad about Star and Con being at risk, they must feel twice as worried about me. I get so worked up over Slade, I know it but I can't help it. _

_If I died, right now, Star would have to live with the knowledge that her greatest dream would never come true. What if I fail? _

_...What if, what if Connie died? The guilt would overtake me...I-I would probably kill myself._

_...It's ironic, in my teens suicide disgusted me. How some people would get so depressed that they would kill themselves, not caring how it affects the people who loved them alive?_

_If worst comes to worst, however, it might be the only way out._

"_Mary's alive in the bright New York sky,  
the city lights shine for her, above them I cry for her.  
Everything's small on the ground below, down below.  
What if I fall, then where would I go, would she know?"_

Once his thoughts became too depressing to dwell on, he returned his attention to the fight. They were definitely winning, but not nearly fast enough. Unless Beast Boy and...That... girl caught Slade, he would escape.

_And I can't, I can-not, let that happen._

But, he assumed, these thought were his. He had a wonderful gift; great knowledge and fighting skills. He used this gift to help other people who were not as fortunate, and they were spared. But this gift, along with Star's and Connie's, were also their greatest curse.

Anyone close enough to make someone warm, is cursed to be their coldest guilt once that person dies.

_In other words, my life endangers those who play the biggest part in it._

_...That really sucks._

"_(She is the one), all that I wanted,  
(she is the one), and I will be haunted,  
(she is the one), this gift is my curse for now."_

But how do the others handle it? Each one of his friends loves someone, therefore putting them in danger, how is it that they don't break? Do they simply not realize it? Do they just not care? They had a secret that kept them from the heart-breaking feeling he was drowning in now, he had to learn it! He couldn't bear it any longer!

**RAAUGH!**

**SH-SHINK!**

Robin roared in frustration as he took out a razor-sharp birdarang. He ran through the mass of remaining robots with one in each hand, slicing them as he strode by. He was a red and yellow blur, skipping from black body to black body. A chain of explosions followed after him, making a charred pathway of where he had been.

The remaining robots each took a step back.

Well, all but one.

One brave metal minion jumped out of sight into the rafters, then hopped down, raising his hands in a fist over his head to slam its foe into the ground. Robin, however, was catching his much needed breath during the sudden moment of peace.

He didn't see the robot coming until a blue flash lit up his vision.

"Booyah!" Cyborg pumped his fist into the air with a smirk on his face. "Yo Robin, what's happenin' man? I turn around for a second and see you about to get clobbered! What are you on man?"

Robin looked up at him for another moment, his breathe returning to normal.

"How...How do you do it?"

"_I see your face with every punch I take,  
and every bone I break, it's all for you.  
And my worst pains are words I cannot say.  
Still I will always fight on for you. Fight on for you ..."_

"...Do what, Robin?"

He chuckled, "...Nothing. Thanks."

"No problem."

Then a huge explosion rocked the building, a wind followed after it, blowing through the windows and sending the lightweight robots crashing into them. The last thing Robin saw before going unconscious was Cyborg's circuitry dimming out, and Jinx smashing her head against the wall where they were all crumpled against, under the huge mass of black androids.

_Starfire...I'm sorry._

XXXXXXXXXXXX-Oh my god, I was IN THE ZONE with that one!-XXXXXXXXXX

(Hmmm, should I end the chapter here, or keep going? Decisions decisions...)

(It's 12:09 AM so... I'LL KEEP GOING!)

"What the hell?"

Of course, any normal teen would have reacted that way if they had just triggered a nuclear explosion.

The blast rang up the street, causing the huge warehouse so shudder threateningly. It vibrated in their ribcages and made the small stones and pieces of dust on the make-shift roof shake and dance across the tarp. A tremendous gust of air followed soon after it, making anyone whose eyes were open start tearing uncontrollably with its incredible force. Their hair blew straight out behind them as the zephyr passed, but soon all was quite.

The city below them looked more like a crumbling mountain than the busy metro-Atlanta. Debris, from basically everything within a hundred feet radius of the bombs point of origin, littered the ground in huge chunks and charred pieces of cloth.

The only thing missing were the sirens.

Beast Boy stood in a mix of utter shock and horror for a second, as if soaking up some ghastly possibility. His breathing became labored and he was searching everything within his field of vision, frantically looking for something.

"What's up with you?" Hannah said, uninterestedly, "Do you need shots or something? I mean it's bad but, y'know, nobody was hurt or anything."

He froze for a moment at the sound of her voice, then turned around and looked at her.

"Y-You mean...He-Slade didn't tell you what was going on?"

She rolled her eyes, "Oh yes, my kidnapping was a total learning experience."

Beast Boy ignored her as he searched his person frantically, pulling a yellow communicator out from some unknown compartment. He put it up to his jaden face and pressed the button to a distinct frequency. A personalized tone sounded.

"Raven...Raven, which town are you in? Where are you now? Repeat, what is your position! Raven!"

Only static.

He tried a different frequency, "Star...Starfire! Which town are you in! Please answer me, Raven isn't responding!

Static.

He growled, half in annoyance and half in worry. Why weren't they answering? He pulled up the tracking screen. If they were anywhere in the US, he would find them. The search screen came up and he waiting patiently for it to locate his friends.

The machine pinged as its search range grew larger and larger. About eight minutes passed with only the steady unyielding ping of the tracker.

He began to get worried; it shouldn't be taking this long!

**"Tracking frequencies have been terminated, communications have been terminated, no contact can be made."**

"Damnit!" He yelled out "Stupid tracking system!"

He threw the communicator across the roof, disappearing on the other side of the building.

Beast Boy collapsed on his knees, running his gloved fingers through his emerald hair in worry. But the more he thought about it, the more his body started shuddering, until he was full-out crying.

"It can't be," He choked out between sobs, "Why did they have to be _here_?"

"Okay, I'll bite, what's going on?"

XXXXXXXXXXX-And...Back to Darren!-XXXXXXXXX

The first thing Darren noticed as he broke back into consciousness was the searing pain all over the back of his body. He was laying on his stomach on hard concrete and hot tar, as if the bomb had melted the road, a comfortable weight of debris and wreckage lying over him. Some of the objects that lay over him were sharp and jagged, prodding his agonized back like a bad sun-burn.

He pushed himself up on his arms, inclining his spine so that the load of rubble slid off of his throbbing back. The pain went all the way to the back of his legs, his heels having the least irritation.

_Well, let's put all those hours wasted watching CSI to good use. _Darren grinned; Raven always told him he was too much like his father to be healthy.

He turned around to survey the scene around him. Taking it all in was a bit of a job, considering that it led to almost three miles away.

The way he remembered it, he had his back to the GL robot (AKA "The Nuke"), when it went off; that's what led to his third-degree sunburn. Though the place he was now was far from the point where he had intervened in the super cat-fight only a few moments ago.

_Then again, _He thought, _it could have been hours. Who knows how long I've been out?_

A long, deep, jagged trench ripped along the street, as if something had taken a giant spoon and made a long line in their mashed potatoes; only, without the gravy. It stretched about three miles up the road to where he had been standing before the accident, indicating that he had blasted through the pavement like a drill. The end of the trench, where he had woken to find himself, had melted tar at the very end in a large pile. He may have parted the rock, but the tar had stuck to him. Darren brought his hand up to his face and pulled a wad of black, warm tar out of his hair.

"Oh, that's _real _nice..."

_So, the bomb blew behind me, burning my back; the blast drove me into the concrete...okay, _through _the concrete; and the tar was lying either in a pile at the end of the ditch or plastered to my hair. Then I got buried by the rest of the street and all the massacred buildings._

"So I, Darren G. Logan, have solved yet another mystery."

"...Now for the next great mystery, how to get tar out of your hair."

His sensitive ears picked up a groan about half a mile away. "Con?"

XXXXXXXXXXX-Ooh, the cliffhanger is over...or is it?-XXXXXXXXXX

(Songfic: The Saddest Song, -_The Ataris)_

"So...they must have been here when it..." Beast Boy didn't finish the last sentence of his story. How could he?

"So Darren... and... M-Mom just got blown u-up by a n-nuke?"

He just nodded.

"...Well...that really sucks."

"What?" Beast Boy stood up quickly; his tear-stained eyes had a wild amazement in their emerald depths. "Is that all you can say! 'Well, that really sucks'! How can you be so...So heartless?"

"Listen, jackass!" He winced at the curse, "I'm just as broken up as you are about this but crying a river and building a bridge won't help!"

The charred cab of a pickup truck exploded a few feet away from the building; they both jumped in shock.

"It's okay, it's okay, just calm down." Hannah mumbled to herself.

"Ann, everything will be okay. We'll find them."

"You mean we'll find their charred corpses. And, don't call me Ann; I hate that name." She responded indifferently.

He 'hmph'ed, "Well then what do I call you? Do you want a super-hero name too?"

"If you knew me at all you would know; Darren and Mom never call me Ann. Everyone who _cares _about me calls me Hannah, or Han, or even H; but Ann? That sounds like a pilgrim name, I swear to God."

Her words stung at his heart; did she _really_ think he didn't care about her?

"I'll bet you don't know what's gonna be in two days either." She crossed her arms over her chest

He chuckled. "You think I don't care, or know anything, about you. But I do know that; only two more days until your birthday. I can't believe you'll be turning twelve." He then looked her straight in the eye. "But, do you know what yesterday was?"

She stared silently for a moment, and then shook her head.

"_Only two more days, until your birthday_

_Yesterday was mine_

_You'll be turning five_

_I know what it's like_

_Growing up without your father in your life"_

He chuckled sadly. "It was mine."

Hannah unfolded her arms and looked down at the ground, hoping she could find the right words on the army-issue tarp. "Well...that doesn't change anything. Darren or Mom probably reminded you or wrote it on your hand so you wouldn't forget."

He scowled. "Raven and I thought we had raised you kids right, but I guess we didn't even teach you the golden rule. Bad parents, bad!"

"I don't give a shit about some golden rule." She re-crossed her arms.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Ann, Hannah...whatever; where on earth did you learn such language?" Beast Boy said teasingly.

"Daytime TV, now, what the fuck is the golden rule!" She was starting to get impatient.

"How vulgar," He laughed, "Anyway, the golden rule is a rule that has been around since time began. It's helps children, and even adults, treat each other with respect and decency. I learned it when I was about four."

Hannah growled in annoyance.

"The Golden Rule is: _'Treat others the way you want to be treated'_. Right now, you aren't treating me very fairly." He crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.

She took a deep breath. "So you got rid of me when I was four to have no human contact for eight years because you wanted to be treated that way?"

"_So I pretend I'm doing all I can_

_And hope someday you'll find it in your heart_

_To understand why I'm not around_

_And forgive me for not being in your life"_

Beast Boy uncrossed his arms and hung his head. "I guess you don't remember then."

She shook her head.

He shook slightly. "When your Mother told me you would be taken away I...I told her I would rather have you stay with me and blow up the Earth, than hate me and have the Earth be fine. I never wanted to give you up, I didn't care if you killed everyone on Earth, I just wanted you to know I loved you, and I wanted you to love me." He shook more violently. "After you were taken away, I sat on the floor of your room for two days, never coming out."

She raised an eyebrow, her wall of hatred slowly crumbling. "You-"

"I just thought...If I sat there long enough...You would come back." He was now sobbing even worse. "But...Y-You never did, I waited for so long. And when you came back...W-When you came back...You..."

"_I remember waiting for you to come_

_Remember waiting for you to call_

_Remember waiting there to find nothing at all"_

She uncrossed her arms again, slowly remembering.

"The first thing you said t-to me...w-when you came back was...was... 'W-who the h-hell are you?"

Her eyes started to water.

"I just wanted...t-to curl up and die."

"_I remember waiting (waiting) for you to come_

_Remember waiting (waiting) for you to call_

_Waiting there to find nothing at all"_

He finally collapsed, sitting on his knees and crying into his arms. He was pitiful, sitting there crying; But what Hannah felt deep in her soul wasn't pity. She felt so hollow and empty, like her heart had fallen out of her chest and shattered on the ground.

What else could she do?

Beast Boy felt himself being pushed back, then warm arms grasped around his neck. Hannah sobbed into his shoulder, and he could hear numerous things exploding behind him.

Like he even cared.

"I'm s-so sorry...D-dad."

"_Maybe someday you'll really get to know me_

_Not just from letters read to you_

_I pray I get the chance to make it up to you_

_We've got a lot of catching up to do"_

"I love you so much."

They both said it in unison.

"_So I pretend I'm doing all I can_

_And hope someday you'll find it in your heart_

_To understand why I'm not around_

_And forgive me for not being in your life"_

"So, Whaddya want for your birthday?"

"_I remember waiting for you to come_

_Remember waiting for you to call_

_Remember waiting there to find nothing at all"_

"Nothin' really, how about you?"

"_I remember waiting (waiting) for you to come_

_Remember waiting (waiting) for you to call_

_Waiting there to find nothing at all._

_Remember waiting for you to come (Forgive me)_

_Waiting for you to call (I'm so sorry)_

_I will make it up to you"_

He laughed. "A hug."

"Well then, Happy Birthday."

XXXXXXXXXX-Awww...sniff-XXXXXXXXX

(If I don't end this chapter soon, it might get too long!)

(Hmmm...NAH!)

His sensitive ears picked up a groan about half a mile away. "Con?"

Darren began to unfold his wings, but once he had moved them even one inch they screamed out in pain.

"Ahh..." He choked back a howl. "Wing-burn, that's bad. Guess I'm hoofin' it."

He ran towards the sound of the pained groan, which he recognized as being Connie's. As he drew closer he could smell blood and singed clothing. _I hope she's okay; she's not exactly a demon._

Darren stopped when he found a good sized pile of rubble and began to dig through it, some of the rocks and pieces of metal being at least 150 pounds. The pile was roughly four feet tall when he started, which meant Connie was completely buried.

"Con, can you hear me? Are you okay?" He said worriedly, "If you can hear me, say something."

For a second Darren thought he was being _way_ too relaxed about this, she was buried underneath tons of rocks and sharp pieces of metal, why wasn't he worried? _I guess I just know she's tough. Tameraneans are just about the strongest race in the universe._

The rubble he was shifting through suddenly became hot, and then a red beam shot through the side of the pile. The blast created a hole, but the pile collapsed in on it. He heard a mumbled curse from underneath the debris.

"Shoot through the top of the pile; I'll get out of the way." He yelled through the wreckage.

He heard her muffled voice through the rocks, something about _wrong way._

"Okay then, brace yourself." Darren visualized her beneath the ruins, then used his powers to lift her through the barricade of rocks. He also concentrated on moving the rocks away from the top with his powers, creating a wave of heavy rubble crashing down the sides of the mound of debris.

In a matter of seconds Connie rose out of the wreckage, trailing dust after her. His blue aura moved her over to him then dissipated like a fog, catching her in his arms.

"You okay?" he asked, looking her over, "Can you stand?"

She winced, "No, my ankle was twisted under this really heavy rock, and...Ugh, just look at it."

He looked down and shuddered at her ankle, which was facing the completely opposite direction it should have been. "Ouch."

"Yeah, ouch, can you heal it?" She clenched her teeth.

"Looks like it's broken, I can't heal broken bones...sorry." He looked downcast, then quickly brightened up. "But I can numb it, how about that?"

Connie looked so happy she could cry. "Thank God, please!"

Darren's smile grew even wider, he concentrated his powers on the veins in her ankle, blocking the flow of blood to them so that they would numb, but not enough to damage the ankle from lack of blood.

"There ya go. Anything else?"

She sighed in relief. "No Dr. Logan, can I have my lollipop now?" She laughed.

"C'mon, we gotta find the others."

Darren looked towards where he had found himself; fog enveloped everything around them, like a thick, white, swirling curtain. Why hadn't he noticed it before? Was he too worried about Connie?

Then he heard something, like shallow breathing.

"That fog is beautiful..." Connie mused, still in Darren's arms. He shushed her.

The heavy breathing came closer through the fog, until he could just barely make out the shape of a man through the swirling mist. "Who are you?"

"Darren..." The voice breathed threateningly, "I... am your father!"

The next thing he heard was hysteric laughing.

It took him a few moments to realize. "Dammit Dad!"

Garfield Logan's green form finally became visible through the fog. "I have _always, **always **_wanted to do that!"

"Yeah well, what are you doing here?"

A second figure came through the fog.

"...Hannah? What the hell?"

Connie tilted her head, glaring questioningly at Darren, "Who's _Hannah_?"

"She's my sister." He said, still flabbergasted.

"Oh, good." She sighed in relief.

"Whaddya mean _good?"_

"...Nothing!"

XXXXXXXXXX-Okay, that's all folks!-XXXXXXXXX

(...No, seriously, that's all)

(Stares at the chapter she has just somehow written) ...Holy...HOLY...HOLY FUCKIN GOD!

Jax: WHAT SHE SAID!

N/M Shin: This is (counts) OVER 5,000 WORDS!

Zephyr: AND OVER 16 PAGES!

Jax: AND TWO SONGFICS!

N/M Shin: AND SOME STAROBIN FLUFF!

I have NEVER been so proud of a chapter in my entire life! And I'm so tanked from writing all of it, I can't think of anything to put in the author's note!

Jax: I'm gonna go take a victory shower! (Walks into bathroom and turns on shower) AHH COLD! WHERE THE FUCK DID ALL THE HOT WATER GO!

(Jax runs out of bathroom with towel on and joins Zeph in glaring at N/M Shin)

N/M Shin: Umm...Should I start running?

(Cue chase seen)

N/M Shin: Okay, remember to review, and if you answer the question I'll respond to your review! But if you answer, make it a review worth responding to please! (Runs in circles from Jax and Zeph)

Read, review, repeat!


	14. Previous Engagement

Ooooh...

Let me put this bluntly, I will need my plasma cannon to answer some of these reviews.

Jax: Zeph, quick, the insanity shelter!

(Jax and Zeph hide in hole in the floor)

MUA-HA-HA-HA-HA! LET'S ANSWER SOME REVIEWS WITH MY LITTLE FRIEND! (Blasts holes in the ozone randomly)

**VashTheStampede7123- **Yes, I live! Please, don't break your computer, I NEED YOUR REVIEWS! I was actually out for more like three weeks, and I wish I could say I was writing the chapter during that time, but I wasn't. And I wish I could say I had writer's block, but I didn't. ...I guess some people call it "Laziness," I call it "creative relaxation". Thanks for your review! I hope this chapter is as pleasing as the last one!

N/M Shin: Now see, I didn't need my cannon for that one, did I? Some people write perfectly fine reviews, I salute them! (Salutes)

...I'm gonna need it for this next one though...

**Shadow 12002- **Oh, I just KNEW someone would try to rain on my parade. I KNEW it! Don't burst my bubble! I'd have a pretty God-damned long chapter too if the ENTIRE STORY WERE ONLY ONE CHAPTER! In fact, it would be about 25,000 words and counting! You think you're so fuckin cool, huh? Would you be cool as A PILE OF SMOLDERING ASH? (Blasts her sonic cannon)

N/M Shin: MUA-HA-HA-HA-HA! (Explosions sound in the background)

Jax: It's because of people like you we even HAVE an insanity shelter.

Zephyr: Jax, get back in the safety zone! (Pulls Jax back into insanity shelter/hole in the floor)

N/M Shin: Thanks for the publisher comment, I seriously doubt it though. Just DON'T EVER, EVER RAIN ON MY PARADE!

Now this next review I absolutely LOVE. Thanks Steve, I really needed that! (Gives Steve a golden toilet seat)

**Steve-Racer- **Thank you so much! Yeah, I'm not giving anything away on how Raven is, maybe this chapter will explain it...or, maybe not... MUA-HA-HA-HA! (Cough) Sorry, anyway...The Thana idea seemed good at first, but after about two days, I really regretted that. I hate it when people give their kids exotic names, it just drives me nuts! So, her name was changed to Hannah because Thana sounds...well...incredibly dorky and cliché. I'm glad you agree with me on that. Yeah, Darren and Hannah, doesn't get much more normal than that, huh? Oh, and Connie, Not "Stardust" or any of that other shit, just...Connie! YAY! ...MORE YAY! I GET A COOKIE! (Munches on cookie) In case you didn't know, the author's notes are not meant to be serious in any way, but thanks for the critique. I learned something! Thanks a bunch for the awesome review, I hope you like this next chapter!

N/M Shin: See, in that one I even got a cookie! YAYY! No sonic wrath for Steve-Racer, no siree!

Jax: Don't you have homework to do?

N/M Shin: Oh, right, I'll be right back! (Leaves the room)

**What show is this quote from?**

"_Snap, crackle...KABOOM!"_

Jax: Now, to answer reviews that _didn't_ actually answer the question. Hey, it's **her** fic!

**Taiba- **Heh heh, I don't really know what triggered that odd simile...I wasn't hungry...or anything...hmmm...Oh well. YOUR CAT ATE TSIVVY? TAKE IT TO THE VET, YOU MAY BE ROAMING!

...Wait, wrong scenario... I don't know about Jersey or whatever, but that commercial is really popular down here...

...Whatever, I'm just wasting space.

**CrazyTomboy-** Teary-eyed? How does that happen! I just write something that doesn't involve emotions at all in my opinion, and people review back saying they were in tears? How does this keep on happening? Thanks so much for the review...hey, where's your gerbil or whatever?

Jax: Okay, enough fun in the author's note, just wrap it up and **Put. The. Cannon. Down. Now.**

N/M Shin: Did any of you see 'Birthmark'? Did you see those markings? THAT IS COPYWRITE INFRINGEMENT! STRAIGHT FROM MY FIC GOD-DAMMIT! I guess I should be kinda flattered... but still!

Jax: You know that fanfiction isn't copywrited anyway, right?

N/M Shin:...DAMN! Oh, and, I broke up with my boyfriend. Single, YAYY!

XXXXXXXXX-Doom doom DOOOOM-XXXXXXXXX

(Tee hee, I'm high off dry rice krispies...)

(Dis first part is a flashback. Y'know, italics...and stuff)

_The Titans were lounging about in the living room, enjoying the lazy Saturday afternoon. Sun filtered in through the tinted windows, which were devoid of curtains or blinds, and cast a golden hue over all those whom its bright beam fell upon. Of course, it did not reach Cyborg or Robin, who were hidden from the radiance behind the huge television, playing a heated game from their spot on the soft carpet. It did, however, reach Starfire, who was sitting with perfect posture, cheering the boy wonder on; and Beast Boy, who was in the kitchen fixing his own breakfast (Everyone had eaten already, but he had no intention of joining them in the poor animal massacre that was_ their_ breakfast), and was temporarily blinded, because of the lack of wall between the living and dining areas. _

_"Oh, you think you're good, but you're not, oh no you're not, you're just-Hey, what the fuck?"_

_"I'm just the winner, baby! Go Cyborg, go Cyborg, go Cyee!"_

_"You...You cheated! That's it, you cheated!"_

_"Please, rejoice friend Robin, for you have competed honorably in your strange ritual of pixel-men fighting."_

_"I want a rematch!"_

_"You'd just get your ass whooped again!"_

_"Would not!"_

_"Would too!"_

_"Would not!"_

_Starfire looked at Beast Boy pleadingly, who was glancing over and smirking at their fight and Star's poor example of intervening._

_"Hey guys, you seen Raven? She missed breakfast, so she'll _have _to eat my tofu now." He changed the subject._

_"Um, BB, it's a little late for breakfast." Cyborg raised an eyebrow._

_"Yeah, and you said you weren't hungry when we were eating breakfast. If you're hungry, just make lunch." Robin suggested._

_Cyborg leaned over to Robin's ear and whispered, "He just wanted to make some brunch for his little crush."_

_Robin broke out into laughter, "Oh Cyborg, that almost rhymed! You could be a poet!"_

_Beast Boy turned about three different shades of red. "Would you guys grow up? C'mon, we're almost nineteen!"_

_They both laughed even harder. "Look who's talking! The most grown up guy we know!"_

_"Please, is it not Beast Boy who is talking?" More laughter._

_"Shut up and stay out of it!" Beast Boy stormed out of the room, angry that he couldn't slam the futuristic sliding door._

_"Bastards." He muttered as he padded softly down the hall. They had been the Teen Titans for a long time, but more than one afternoon had gone down like this. At every hint of crime, the JLU came swooshing in to save the day. Each Titan was on edge about being replaced; they knew it was only a matter of time. They took it out on each other, making what may be their last few weeks together uncomfortable and tense._

_Beast Boy sighed. How much longer did they have? What if they left before he could get his feelings out toward a certain female titan?_

_"That's why I'm here, to get some feelings out." By here, he meant outside Raven's door with a platter of tofu brunch._

_He took a deep breath and knocked. "Hey Raven, I really need to talk to you. And if you feel like some tofu then-"_

_"Come in; just... watch your step." Raven called through the door. Her voice sounded strained; pained even?_

_He put the tray down outside the door, which glowed black then slid into the wall with a whirring mechanical sound. Her powers wore down the gears in the door, and Robin really got on her case about forcing it open._

_The green teen stared as the room came into view. _

_Candles were numerously arranged throughout the room, filling it with haze and unfamiliar but calming scents. Several strange figures were present on the walls and floor, and a huge, arcane symbol was even burned on the ceiling. The other symbols were painted, burned, arranged with sand, or even carved from the carpet; each one just as different and mysterious as the last._

_Raven sat in the center of her bed, her legs crossed and her fingers bent in a mesmerizing and enchanting way. At her left side was her mirror, which had its own symbol glaring from the center in a blood red light, at her right was a decorated, gold-hilted dagger, its blade turning sharply and shining in the dim light of the candles. She was chanting softly and slowly; that beautiful language Beast Boy loved but found unfathomable._

_"...Dude..." was all he could muster._

_"Just so you know, I'm not committing suicide."_

_"What are you talking abou-...Dude, what the fuck are you doing?"_

_Raven had picked up the dagger and inflicted a small cut on the ends of each of her fingers; she began to rub them against her blanket in another strange design around herself; a blood red, glowing design._

_She chanted another long incantation, her voice becoming hypnotizing and thick with a Balkan accent._

_"Knoll rahnen, mes irihs, hel zarrow mannen zhall!"_

_The dagger flew from her hands and pierced her through the heart._

_"Holy shit! Are you crazy!" He ran towards her, only to be stopped by an invisible force at the edge of one of the markings._

_The dagger dissolved in a golden light as the markings all disappeared from the room and every candle's orange flame flickered out. The force that held him back dissipated and Beast Boy fell flat on his face._

_He scrambled to his feet and rushed to Raven's bed, the sheet completely devoid of blood._

_"What the fuck did you just do?" _

_She didn't answer, all Raven did was wrap her arms around him and cry into his shoulder. Her tears soaked his black and purple uniform. Needless to say, he was flabbergasted._

_"Um...Raven?"_

_She whimpered. "I finally," sniff, "I finally did it."_

_"It's okay Rae," He tenderly rubbed her back, "just tell me what you did."_

_"It's like I put a switch in my mind," sniff, "When I want to feel something I just," sniff, "Turn them off."_

_"Turn what off?"_

_"Beast Boy," sniff, "I can just turn off my powers at will."_

_His eyes widened. "B-but that means...no more explosions! No more melting furniture! This is great!"_

_She nodded against his shoulder. "Then why are you crying?"_

_"Because," she paused, "I...can."_

XXXXXXXXX-One Year Later-XXXXXXXX

_Beast Boy walked downstairs, sporting a pair of dark baggy jeans and a dress shirt. His hair had been combed to the side, but some of its spike still remained in the center of his scalp, the gel refusing to give up._

_He was greeted with a collective gasp as he entered the living room. "What did that snappy dresser do with Gar?"_

_"Hahaha, very funny Cy, coming from a guy who's naked."_

_Cyborg glared for a second. "Man, that's harsh. Why are you so snazzed up anyway?"_

_"Hello! Earth to Cy! Today is the one-year anniversary of Raven's little psychic on/off switch!" He made a motion like flicking a light switch; "We're going to that new Italian restaurant on Fifth Street to celebrate!" _

_"All right! When are we leaving!"_

_Robin tapped him on the shoulder, "Um, Cyborg, I think he means he and _Raven _are going...alone."_

_He gave Beast Boy a thumbs-up that he quickly returned. Robin was the only Titan he had told about his big plans for the night. Boy, would _she_ be surprised. _

_At least, he hoped she would be._

_"Are you guys doing some kinda secret agent thing with the thumbs-up or are you just losers?" He crossed his arms in satisfaction._

_They glanced at each other; should they let Cy in on it? Both men shook their heads at the same time._

_"Well, I guess you caught us. He's Nightwing and I'm agent double-0-zero. Nightwing, put your shades on, we'll have to erase his memory."_

_Robin collapsed in laughter and Cyborg frowned. "Well when you both gang up on me how can I win?"_

_Beast Boy's ears pricked up as he heard someone walking down the hall towards the living room. "She's coming, you dudes gotta hide, and don't make any noise, okay!" He said quickly, ushering them into the elevator._

_"Good luck." Robin whispered as the elevator doors closed._

_Beast Boy barely made the leap to the couch and assumed a leisurely position before the doors swished open. Raven walked in, her bare feet padding softly on the old carpet. She wore dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt with an upside-down cartoony skull on it. Underneath in white words it said, 'They buried me this way'. _

_She glanced around, "Hey Gar, where is everybody?"_

_He waved his hand nonchalantly. "Rob and Star went to the movies and Cy went somewhere downtown. He told me to put some gas in the T-car while he was out. Mind if we make a stop on the way?" He had told Robin to keep Star busy until they got back._

_She raised an eyebrow. "On the way to what?"_

_Beast Boy laughed, "To the dinner I'm treating you to; didn't think I'd pass up an anniversary as big as this one, did ya?"_

_She smiled broadly and hugged him by the neck from over the back of the couch. "I'll get my shoes on; do you think I should dress a little more formally?"_

_Gar made a big deal of scanning her from head to toe. "I think you look fine; it's not a big hoity-toity place anyway."_

_He stood up and offered her his hand like a gentleman, "Your custom-made metal chariot awaits, my darling."_

_They entered the T-car, which Robin had forced Cyborg to let him drive tonight, and drove for a few minutes until they reached a gas-station. Beast Boy got out and filled up the car, then told Raven she could listen to the radio while he went inside the building to pay. He came out about ten minutes later, his hand in his pocket to the hide the small object he had just purchased._

_"Ready to eat?"_

XXXXXXXXXX-At the Restaurant-XXXXXXXXX

_They arrived at the small, but nice family restaurant about half an hour later. The building was packed, and Raven began to sit down on the worn plush chairs in the waiting area before Beast Boy grabbed her arm and pulled her back up._

_"Oh no, mademoiselle, we have reservations." He grinned at the foreign phrase until he got some strange looks from the Italian waiters._

_"Gar, "mademoiselle" is _French._" She laughed at the bright shade of red that crept up his face as they were led to their table._

_"Well, it would've been awesome if it was Italian." He grumbled, folding his arms._

_"Yes," She agreed, sitting down, "It certainly would have been romantic. But you get points for trying."_

_"What're you gonna get?" He asked, scanning the menu. The prices were reasonable, but Robin had let him dig into the Titans' bank account for the night. After all, that's why they had it; special occasions like this._

_"Probably the chicken parmesan." (A/N The most **delicious **food in the world!) He grimaced at her choice of meat. "Don't give me that look. I know you've been that animal, but I also know that I'm not eating you; you're sitting right in front of me."_

_"Fine, fine, kill another animal why dont'cha?" He grinned. "The nice thing about Italian food is: pasta doesn't need meat to be tasty."_

_They ordered their food and it arrived shortly there-after. Gar going with angel-hair pasta and a house salad, and Raven with the chicken parmesan (A/N -Drools-)_

_After they were about halfway through the meal, conversation picked up. "So, why did you get all dressed up and make reservations anyway?"_

_"I already told you, I wanted to celebrate the anniversary of-"_

_"Don't give me that" she said teasingly, "You think I'll believe that Star and Robin, AND Cyborg had something to do tonight?Do you have a hidden camera or something? I am on Punk'd or whatever show you watch all the time?" _

_"You're paranoid, you know that? You're just not used to people doing nice things for you is all; but you'll see a lot more of that soon."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?"_

_He chuckled. "You'll see." She frowned._

_That left them with something to think about for awhile; as Raven moved her chicken around in the marinara sauce in deep thought, and Beast Boy stuck his straw wrapper to the condensation on his glass to form a white ring around it._

_He had to plan it perfectly, something he could brag about for the rest of his life; something...fantastic._

_Raven tried, but couldn't figure out what he was up to. It wasn't anything bad; she could tell, but...what was he planning?_

_The check arrived after a minutes of deep meditation, and was quickly taken care of. They both climbed into the car, BB driving, and rode silently on the way home. But soon Raven noticed that the scenery seemed...unfamiliar; but she had seen it somewhere before._

_"Where are we going?" she asked as he drove further down the empty street._

_"To the park;" He chuckled, "Gotta walk that food off, ya know? Well...I do anyway."_

_She smiled at the complement he had snuck into his explanation. "That was sweet."_

_His toothy grin grew wider._

XXXXXXXX-At the Park-XXXXXXX

_They had chosen one of the many jogging trails that snaked through the war memorial park in uptown Jump City; one of the only green spots in the entire city, he noted._

_He sighed. Perfect, just don't mess up._

_With a leap of courage, he linked his arm with hers. She simply smiled and took it in stride; phase one complete. Beast Boy fingered the small object in his pocket, then the larger one._

_He inhaled deeply, taking in her wonderful lavender scent with the smell of late-night dew on the grass. At night, the park was one of the most romantic spots in the city. Especially near the man-made lake._

_Of course, that's where they were headed._

_Raven noticed the lake growing closer as Gar lead her through the moonlit park. What was he planning?_

_Once they had walked in silence for about twelve minutes they came to a stop at a bench by the edge of the water. Ducks gathered in a large group on the shore, ready to go to sleep until tomorrow, when they would get more free bread thrown to them by the excited children of the park._

_Beast Boy inhaled deeply again; phase two underway._

_He fished the object out of his pocket. "How about a little after-dinner mint?"_

_She laughed. "Gar, that's a ring-pop."_

_He glanced at it comically, pretending to have just noticed. "Oh my gosh, I must have picked up the wrong thing." He wasn't trying to fool her; this was just the comedy portion of his plan._

_Then he widened his eyes. "But, you know what I can do?" She shook her head. "I can make it change colors. Wanna see?"_

_He put the ring-pop candy on her finger; her slender hand felt soft and warm in his. "Now, close your eyes; and don't open them until I say so, okay?" She nodded._

_Once she had closed her eyes, phase three, perhaps the easiest to mess up and the most crucial phase, had initiated._

_Beast Boy took yet another deep breath; he quickly switched the candy with the other object in his pocket. His quick hands made it impossible for her to notice. "Okay, open your eyes."_

_He kept his hand over hers, hiding it from view as she opened her eyes. "Now for the magic words."_

_Hopefully, his last deep breath of the night. "Here we go." She watched in anticipation._

_"Will you marry me?"_

_She looked shocked for a second, then giggled. "Gar, you can't marry a girl with a ring...pop..."_

_Of course, he had removed his hand from hers._

_Which revealed the _real _ring._

XXXXXXXXX-That was UBER fun to write-XXXXXXXX

She awoke from the nostalgic flashback with a start; not wanting to remember the rest of the night.

After all, that was the night they had been forced to disband; which, in turn, prolonged their marriage for about eight years.

Once the flashback had lost its effect, the first she noticed was pain. It felt as if she was being stabbed in a thousand different places, her skin burned and weight on top of her was slowly crushing her ribs. She could tell that at least two were broken from the painful way they ground against each other.

_Dammit...what happened?_

Raven could feel the puddle of her own blood growing larger around her, soaking through her old uniform and making her cape moist around her legs. She was losing consciousness quickly, and soon fell into a dreamless comatose state.

XXXXXXXX-Uh-oh, Rae-Rae is hurt-XXXXXXXX

Beast Boy was reveling in the prank he had just pulled. It had been _perfect_, and it had made Darren pretty mad too. He was just as easy to rile as his mother; why hadn't he inherited his father's sense of humor instead?

But something wasn't right; as he neared his son and Connie, Darren's figure came clearer and clearer through the dense fog. Did he seem taller? What were those huge things on his back? And was it his imagination, or did his voice sound deeper too?

Hey Darry (He hated that name too), you okay? You sound kinda funny."

Of course, before Darren could respond, Hellion came into view.

_(A/N Now, you have to remember, Beast Boy doesn't know about Dar's knew power yet. This'll be surprise, now won't it?)_

Now, if you saw a huge, monstrous, demonic figure holding an injured and bleeding friend, what would you do?

You would attack, that's what. (A/N At least I hope you would)

"You put her down right now, you monster!" He screamed as he went cougar on Hellion, scratching and biting his face.

He swatted the cat away with the back of his clawed hand. "Dad, get off! It's me! I have a power; an honest-to-God **power**!"

Gar de-transformed out of utter shock. "What? You expect me to believe you?"

"Mr. Logan, that's really him! He can heal people and everything!" She glared up at him. "At least, he can _barely_ heal people."

He glared back at her. "Is that so? Maybe I should put the feeling back in your foot then, huh?"

She blanched. "N-no, that's really okay, I-I'm fine."

Hannah walked up to him, poking him on the arm through his thin layer of fur. "Ouch! Hannah, don't do that! I have, like, a MEGA-sunburn!"

She smiled mischievously. "Oh really?"

"Yes, now could you please heal it or something?" Connie coughed, "Oh, and her ankle too. You're almost as good with your powers as Mom." Hannah nodded and surrounded them both with dark green energy. The scent of cinnamon wafted over them until the aura dissipated; their skin and other damaged ligaments fully healed.

"Thanks sis." Darren said gratefully, flexing his enormous wings simultaneously with his arms.

"Dude, that is so cool!" Beast Boy cheered as Darren put Connie back on her own two feet. He poked his arm through Hellion's reddish-brown fur, and ran his gloved fingers across his leathery wings in amazement.

"Yeah," He agreed, "But my healing and other powers suck. This transformation is all I've really got."

"Okay, now that that's settled, please explain to me the fact that you have a _sister_." Wildfire demanded, walking up next to Hannah and looking her over.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

"Oh, you're just a barrel of laughs, arent'cha?"

"Shut up."

"Oh, so that's how it is?"

"Yeah, you gonna do something about it?"

"Maybe, what're you gonna do about it?"

**Rurrr...gr.**

"...Oh...shit." There was now a monstrous, golden bear on its hind legs right in front of her.

"Okay, okay, introductions are over." Darren lifted the enormous bear over his shoulder and hovered a few feet above the ground.

"Hey, put me down!" Hannah de-transformed and tried to struggle out of his grip.

He lifted her off of his shoulder and held her out in front of himself with both of his arms. "Now, you're going to apologize to Connie for being a jerk; and Con, you're gonna apologize to Hannah for being annoying."

Hannah squirmed once more before giving in. "Yeah, sorry, whatever."

"I'm sorry too, now, let's start over! Hi, my name's Connie, what's yours?"

She growled threateningly as her brother put her down. "Right...never mind."

Hannah looked from Darren to Connie, then back to Darren again.

"So is she your girlfriend or something?"

"Well...umm..."

"Not really- I mean..."

"Heh, hit the nail right on the head there, Han."

"Dad!" "Mr. Logan!"

XXXXXXXXXX-Uh oh, outta Dr. Pepper-XXXXXXXXX

(Can't decide whether to leave it here or continue...)

(Hehe...I'm so evil)

Okay, the end of the fourteenth chapter has arrived.

Jax: That was actually pretty long, but it doesn't compare to the last one.

N/M Shin: If I tried to make every chapter as long as the last one, my brain would fizzle out.

Zeph: Yeah, but this one was pretty long too. I mean, it's not like it was a _bad_ chapter or anything.

N/M Shin: Yes, I am quite pleased with it. I wanted to shed some light on Rae and BB's engagement, and yes, I know there are some contingency errors with it, but please, do your best to ignore them.

Jax: N/M Shin was actually planning for them to go to an Italian restaurant all along, but didn't know many details about it. Then you know what happened? They went to an Italian restaurant for her sister's birthday. Is that luck or what?

N/M Shin: Yep, so, I have a few more points to be made. First of all, I am aware that I am not updating very quickly, but this is a very trying time for me at school. I have two projects, both due on March 8th, which are about 300 points of my overall grade. That's a whole fuckin lot.

The next point I need to make in its own paragraph. To put it bluntly, I need help with Hannah's name. Superheroes don't go around calling themselves Hannah, but I cannot think of anything to save my life.

Remember her powers; shape shifting and telekinesis, and help me come up with one. Even if you only have a vague idea, maybe even one word that would sound good as a name that has ANYTHING to do with it; I NEED YOUR HELP ON THIS ONE.

Jax: Why don't you think for yourself for once?

N/M Shin: Would _you_ like to write the fic instead?

Jax: ...Y'know what, I would! I'm a muse; I can do it by myself!

N/M Shin: (Glares) So, you're loyalties lie in yourself then, huh? Well, THAT'S MUTINY ON MY SHIP!

Jax: Yeah well, I'm getting off the SS insanity! I'm starting my own liberation force! We'll have a bloody war if we have to!

N/M Shin: You're on! (Begins war plans)

Zeph: Um, guys...why don't we just...

N/M Shin and Jax: HE'S ON MY SIDE!

Zeph: AHHHHH! (Runs) You reviewers better choose sides now, or you'll be considered renegades and be used to test mine fields!

N/M Shin: Whoever wins gets full control of the fic! The Insanity Brigade will be the winner!

Jax: Oh yeah, well your blood will litter the battle grounds while The Muse Liberation Front writes this petty excuse for a fic!

Zeph: So remember, choose a side, suggest a name, and answer the question!

And as always, Read, Review, Repeat!


	15. Metal Octagon of Halting

Having some difficulties making up my mind right now...

See, I can't decide whether to do the war chapter in ch. 15 or wait until next chapter. Of course, if you're reading this then I've decided to wait but... oh well, I've never made sense before, why start now?

(Looks around at empty room sadly)

My muses are making war plans right now so... (Sniff)

Shame on all of you! Zephyr wasn't planning on even being in this war! He wanted peace! But you guys saying you're gonna join his side or take him as a POW has CORRUPTED HIS LITTLE POETIC DRAGON MIND!

(Sniff) How can I do my author's note without muses...?

(Sniffle and cry) Without **my **muses...

(Hugs CrazyTomboy and the rest of her loyal troops)

Crazy Tomboy: It'll be okay... They'll come back when we...uh... kick their butts! (Pats N/M Shin on the back)

Steve-Racer: (In sing-song voice)...Awkward...

Vash: Yeah, well, our three-person army'll be **real **hard to beat, yessiree (Rolls eyes).

N/M Shin: (Let's go of CT) That's right! Some of you didn't state which army you were supporting. If you don't choose a side you automatically get put with Zeph and the renegades. And some of the people who didn't decide a team are, like, my **best and most loyal reviewers.**

I will not stand for this!

**Insanity Brigade: **_Ninmenju-shin__Steve-Racer__VashTheStampede7123, CrazyTomboy_

**Muse Liberation Front: **_Jax, Shadow12002_

**Renegades: **_Zephyr, Daughter of Trigon_

**Undecided: **_Zako Lord of Randomnessness, MOOgoestheCHICKEN, Taiba_

So, the undecided people need to...um, decide...yeah.

Now, about Hannah's name. How would you guys like to vote for it? Very much? Good!

Beast Girl

Artemis

Anima

Black Cat

Yeah, I'm not very creative and my reviewers tried to help as best they could... If your suggestion isn't here then that means it **really **wouldn't fit the flow of the fic. Remember, I know how this fic is going to turn out and **you** do not. Trust me on this.

I saw Avatar: the Last Airbender on Nick the other night. Man, that show rocks!

Jax: (From up in the rafters) Haha! You're so useless, N/M Shin!

N/M Shin: Jax, you traitor! What're you doing here?

Jax: I came to steal your war plans, but when I opened the file cabinet marked 'Super Secret War Plans' all I found was this bag of jellybeans! (Holds up jumbo bag of jellybeans)

N/M Shin: Give those back, you jellybean thief! (Jax disappears through window laughing)

XXXXXXXX-DAMMIT-XXXXXXXX

(Sniff ...jellybeans...)

_Hey Han, c'mere, me and Dad are gonna throw the football!_

_You don't know how to throw a football!_

_Well, I'm gonna learn!_

_Can I learn too?_

_C'mon Dar, even 4 years old isn't too young to learn somethin'! C'mere you two, we'll all learn together._

_Can Mom throw a football?_

_Yes, I can throw a football._

_Cool, after me and Han learn we could play a game!_

_That would be fun._

_Here guys, see? You hold it like thi- Uh-oh, you guy's hands aren't big enough!_

_ Awww man!_

_It's okay, we'll start smaller. How about..._

These flashbacks were getting increasingly annoying. It seemed like very moment she slipped out of consciousness another memory played itself out in her mind. Some of them, like the last one, had been wonderful. But, still others were worse than even the crushing pain and stabbing icefire in her veins. Each memory, however, was growing considerably shorter as her healing factor kept her conscious for a longer amount of time.

It wasn't long before she could open her eyes, but all she could see was red.

Raven's healing abilities were possibly even slower than a regular human's when she had her powers temporarily out of use, and she quickly found that she was much too weak to reactivate them. Of course, the first priority of healing was her mind and awareness. Left unattended to, her body still screamed in pain, with no comatose state to put it at bay. She quickly shut her amethyst orbs, as the blood stung them unbearably.

Even her vocal chords refused to operate, and the only thing she could get out of them was a throbbing ache and 'augh...', and that wouldn't do her a lick of good. She desperately wanted to cough; dust clogged her mouth and throat and slowly choked her. She tried to swallow it, but the chalky substance remained where it lay, just like everything else around her. She was helpless, at the mercy of stone and stabbing metal.

And, no matter how hard she tried, her body wouldn't let her escape from it.

XXXXXXXX-Ewww...but she's still alive...-XXXXXXXX

Unlike her comrades, though she didn't know this, Starfire was not buried under piles of rubble; though she was one of the few who could have gotten out of it by herself. How ironic, no?

However, this did not mean she wasn't in extreme pain. When Starfire came to, the first thing she noticed was that a stifling wind blew all around her. The second thing she noticed was that sharp pain peppered her entire body. The third thing she noticed was that something was pinning her to the uncomfortable hard mass underneath her back. She was face up, and opened her eyes to a foggy, ominous sky.

Star knew that sitting up would not be a good idea, but what was she supposed to do, sit there? She slowly contracted the aching muscles in her abdomen, regretting it instantly when the pain along her stomach stabbed into the ribs. She let out a frustrated sob, but didn't sit back down. Closing her eyes, she sat fully up, straightening her back so that the pain detached itself from her upper body.

She opened her eyes slowly, scanning her entire being.

Jagged shards of glass littered the surface of her body, jutting out at odd angles and seeping blood onto the mound she rested on. Their translucent surfaces were uneven, instead of their usual smoothness. The heat of the explosion had slightly melted the glass, not enough for it to lose its overall shape, but just enough to be painful when she pulled them out.

Unlike her friends and family, who were moderately protected from the glass by their concrete tombs, Starfire had caught every piece that flew by.

"How... unfortunate." Starfire managed to choke out. Her long unused voice was scratchy and it burned her throat to speak. Her mouth felt like cotton, as if she didn't have a trace of saliva. She blinked, "But, what has become of my friends?"

She tried to get up without disturbing the protruding glass, but found yet another obstacle.

A stop sing pierced her right calf, and was lodged in the rubble underneath her. (Yes, I know, I am horribly gruesome)

Now, Starfire may not have been a doctor, but she knew not to pull the wreckage out. She had no intention of bleeding to death any time soon. But, she also knew that she needed to get off of her rocky perch and find her friends. She gripped the margin of steel between the bottom of her leg and the rock, the blood making it a bit slippery, and twisted it sharply, moving her leg with it to avoid causing herself pain, in an attempt to loosen it.

"AUGH! HOLY ONES OF AZERATH!" Starfire almost had a heart attack.

"Raven?"

"Starfire! Geez, what was that! It felt like a hellfire sword!" Raven's voice, which had returned to her in order to scream, was muffled underneath the rubble Starfire was sprawled unceremoniously on.

"I am not...Oh...," She gasped in horror, "oh no, this is not good."

"What? Are you hurt? Because, we're gonna be pretty useless together unless you can move."

"Raven, do you feel...um...that something is lodged into your leg?"

"Yeah, that was why I screamed! Damn, that hurt like fuckin hell!" Starfire cringed, not at the curse, but the possibility.

"..."

"Starfire? Where are-"

"I fear that I lay on top of the pile of earth that consumes you."

"Well get off! I'm being crushed!"

"..."

"Star?"

XXXXXXX-Hehe...do you know what happened-XXXXXXX

Cyborg's circuits flickered to life as he rebooted. It didn't take him long to realize what had happened; what else generates a burning wind and explosions when a nuke resides in the city? His vision slowly returned, becoming clearer with each passing second. The whirring of motors caught the attention of someone beyond the pile of wasted robots on top of him. _Those useless robots, _he thought, _could've been me if they hadn't been there. _He quickly thanked God.

He wasn't thankful for very long.

As soon as they noticed he was operational, the person outside of the troops of robo-carcasses shifted the ones on top of him so that he had a clear view of their face. A flash of purple and black made his heart race.

"Jinx, you're okay! I thought you might have-"

"Save it, Tin-Man."

His eyes widened. "W-what? Jinx, what're you-"

She brought her hand up to his face, pink energy laced and crackled around her slender fingers like snakes. "You'd better watch it. I would hate for you _malfunction _or something." She gave a menacing tone on the word 'malfunction' and the energy leaped out of her hand, sparking millimeters from his dark face.

"Where's Robi-"

"You're scrub-muffin friend is right here."

_No, no anyone but him. _The voice was deeper, and sounded scratchy and mature, but only one person talked like _that_.

"Yeah, but you would both be scrap if I was in charge."

_That _voice was still the same. The same deep, throaty, primal voice.

"Jinx, what're you doing back with these losers!"

They all laughed. "Back?" Mammoth growled a response. "She never left. The HIVE has been very much alive all these years, stupid."

"Once you graduate from the academy," Even betraying him, her seducing voice sent chills down his spine, "You just live normally. Villains hire you, mob bosses hire you, and even political candidates hire you, for a price. We kill people, follow people, steal things, then payday comes."

"And what a wonderful day it is." Mammoth chuckled, and Gizmo faked a dreamy look.

"You wouldn't believe what we get paid, thousands, billions..."

"So me... and you...that was all a lie?"

Gizmo _hmph'ed_ in the corner of the room; his tall, slim frame leaned against the wall. Jinx glared at him. "No, not at all. But, work comes before friends, ya know?" She had not a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"Guess who hired us this time."

"You wouldn't...Slade!"

"Yeah," Gizmo chuckled, "And guess what he hired us to do, snot-fer-brains!"

He gulped. "...Oh fuck."

XXXXXXX-God, I hate Gizmo...-XXXXXXX

"You sure you guys can't smell anything!" Connie groaned.

Two wolves and a demon had their noses to the ground and had been sniffing around for half-an-hour, but couldn't find one person?

Hannah returned to her normal state. "The bomb fried all the odors in the air. Not to mention that burning asphalt is a pretty hard smell to ignore."

Gar de-transformed too. "Auggh, this is sooo frustrating!"

"I can't believe that four super-humans don't have a single ability between them to find a single person! I mean superman always somehow finds-"

Hellion _shushed_ her. His ears pricked up to attention, and Wildfire caught herself before she could reach out to pet them like a dog.

Soon everyone could hear it.

"Left, right, left, right- No, _your_ right!"

"That _was_ my right!"

"No, that was _my _right!"

"Exactly, _my_ right!"

"No, that was _your_ left!"

"But you said _right_!"

"Yeah, _your_ right!"

"But you just said I was wrong!"

"Augh! Just, shut up and step with _your _left!"

"Okay!"

"Ouch! That was your _right_!"

"Why can't you just come to a decision whether I am _right _or _wrong_?"

"Not _THAT _right!"

"Oh, then please, which foot is _wrong_?"

"You _don't know_ left and right?"

"Why would a foot be _left_? Do you not need _both_?"

"...Damn this stop sign and all affiliated with it..."

"Yes, the fact that we face different directions is almost as cumbersome as the pain brought about by the metal octagon of halting."

"...It's called a _stop sign_, Star..."

"...Well...it hurts."

"Indeed it does."

Connie, ever the happy, jubilant youth, rocketed off into the fog to find them.

They heard a shriek. "Uh...guys...get over here _NOW_!"

"Who's with you?" Raven's voice inquired as the three Logans strode towards them.

"Everyone but Robin and...what was his name? Roborg? ...God, doesn't that hurt?"

"No, it's just _peachy_, OF COURSE IT HURTS!"

Beast Boy was the first to reach them. "Raven, Star, are you- OH MY GOD!"

The rest reacted similarly when they reached them.

The stop sign, which she had not opted to remove, jutted out of Star's calf. The other end, which stuck out behind Star, was lodged into Raven's thigh. Because they couldn't remove it without gushing blood, they had been forced to walk with it binding them together, back to back.

"This would be so cool if wasn't happening to you guys..."

Raven slapped her son on the head. "What! Just tryin to lighten the mood!"

"Pull it out and heal it! Now!"

"Oh, right... Han, this is more your department."

Soon, after ripping the sign out of both of the women and healing it at what seemed like light speed, everyone in the blast was finally accounted for. Connie and Starfire gave each other death hugs and, despite the way she had handled the information during her conversation with Starfire, Raven cried all over her only daughter, as if she was making sure that Hannah was actually there. Would imply

And, despite what the ominous tone of this story would imply, no one was in the shadows watching them, there were no more bombs, and none of them were slowly dying. I gotta give them a break, ya know?

"_Okay Darren, say it! Say 'duuude'." _

_"Dad!"_

_"No, duuude."_

_"For God's sake Gar, he's not even one yet."_

_"Hey, my son's gonna learn early on to be as cool as me."_

_"But Gar, you _are _as cool as a drooling baby."_

_"Haha, that's very funny Dick."_

_"Funny Dick!" The dark haired baby laughed from his place on the floor._

_"Raven and Star left us with him, _alone_; we'll never get this opportunity again!"_

_"Fine, whatever, corrupt him, I don't care."_

_"Whever!" Darren grinned at his baby version of 'whatever'._

_"Haha, he's like a little sponge!" Gar picked his son up and put him on the couch, bending down so that they were at eye level._

_"C'mon Dar, just say 'Duuude'." _ (A/N- The nickname for Darren, 'Dar' is pronounced 'Dare'. Y'know, like truth or Dare)

_"Dad!"_

_"No, not Dad! Duuude!"_

_Dick bent down next to his friend. "Sure makes me jealous."_

_"Hehe, what, you want one too?"_

_"Hell yeah!"_

_"Hell yeah!" Darren clapped to himself._

_They both looked horrified._

_"Hell yeah! Hell yeah! Hell yeah!" He repeated over and over._

_"Awww dude! Look what you did!"_

_"Me? He's your little sponge baby!"_

_"Duuude, if Raven hears him say that, I'm as good as dead!"_

_"Hell yeah!" Darren laughed. His dad acted funny when he said that._

_"He won't stop saying it! Dude, I am so screwed!"_

_"So screwed!" the baby laughed again._

_"He's like a parrot! Make him stop!"_

_"Hell yeah!"_

_"Darren, dude, stop it, please? If you don't, Daddy might have to go join the circus!"_

_"Duuude." He clapped his small hands together again._

_"...Yess! Awesome little dude, gimme a five!" Gar held out his hand._

_ "Awesome duuude!" Darren clapped his little hand up and down on his father's repeatedly._

_"When did you teach him how to give high fives?"_

_"Like, forever ago."_

_The door opened and Raven walked in, followed by Star. "Hey_ _guys, have you killed the baby yet?"_

_"No, not yet! And you shoulda heard him! He said 'Awesome duuude' then gave me a five! Tell mommy your new word, Dar!"_

_"Hell yeah, so screwed!"_

_"Garfield Logan!"_

_"Dick, what were you two _doing _with him!"_

_"Well Star, we..."_

_"Daddy so screwed." Darren crawled over to Raven and she picked him up._

_"Yes, he is indeed."_

_Gar Logan sighed. "Well, he'll be cool now. His father's in the circus, after all."_

XXXXXXX-HAHAHAHAHA-XXXXXX

That last scene was just a random flashback I wanted to put in. Good for a few laughs, neh?

Sorry this chapter was put off for so long, but, I already told you about my two big projects. I really should be doing that right now instead of writing the chapter, but guilt consumes me.

Don't expect the next update until after March 8th. That's when my projects will be finished. Stupid gifted classes...

CrazyTomboy: You're in the _Gifted Program_?

N/M Shin: (Sighs) Yeah, but you wouldn't know it by talking to me.

Steve: Why don't you go do your project? We'll wrap it up here.

N/M Shin: Thanks guys. (Walks off)

Vash: So, vote for a name and choose a side if you haven't done so.

CrazyTomboy: And, as always...

All together: Read, Review, Repeat! (Seriously, do it)


	16. Welcome to Reality

**NOTE: If you're wondering about the latest update, I went back to the previous chapters and changed a few things. There is no new chapter yet.**

(A _mysterious_ figure side-steps into the room wearing N/M Shin's clothes and a badly drawn Alfonse Elric mask)

Figure: Hi...um, I'm not N/M Shin or anything sooo... please don't pelt me with hard things.

Readers: WHAT ABOUT REALLY HOT THINGS? (Reviews approach the mysterious figure with hot, pointy metal objects)

N/M Shin: (removes mask) Okay, okay. Let's backtrack a little here to an author's note I wrote a few weeks ago. Just don't hurt me yet! (Curls up in a little ball)

XXXXXX-_Real_ author's note-XXXXX

N/M Shin: Hehe, (Cough) um... (Makes that sound when you inhale through your teeth)

(Camera zooms out to find N/M Shin, Zeph, and Jax in a cage made of cheetos)

Maggles: This war has been won by the political party formerly known as FORTY-TWO!

N/M Shin: (Stands up, breaking the dangerously cheesy roof of the cage) Yeah, yeah. Long story short, we had to join forces to battle Maggles, but somehow still lost...Whatever, I'll give you guys the details later...

...I can't believe none of you reviewed about Cyborg and Robin's mini plot. You guys tell me to include them, but you don't really care, do ya? DO YA!

Zeph: Since your LAZY authoress hasn't updated in over two months, we're avoiding the details of the war for now. Maybe another chapter.

N/M Shin: Hey, a lot of things came up and LAZINESS WAS ONLY ONE OF THEM!

Jax: But I'm sure you'll regale us with all the _thrilling_ details...

N/M Shin: I'll just make a quick list! Okay! Does that please you, rabbit breath?

Jax: Do you wanna start another war?

Readers: NOOOOOOO!

N/M Shin: Okay... (Deep breath) After I turned in the HUGE project on March 8th I got another one and another one from that very same class and now that I take the time to add them up I have had about twelve more projects since I last updated IN JUST THAT ONE CLASS and then I got a huge science project the same week that I had a huge math project and three more Social Studies projects so my tally that week was five projects and I didn't have time to do them all and this time I didn't procrastinate because I found out about them a week before they were due and I had to stay up until about three in the morning on my math project and I was still missing a lot of crap but I had to get to bed so I could wake up at five in the morning and do a social studies project and when I got the math project back I got 64 on it so my teacher said I could do it over and it was due on Tuesday so I'm gonna work on it this weekend and make it PERFECT and surprise her by turning it on Monday so tonight is Friday and I'm only allowing myself to work on this chapter tonight because I will dedicate my entire weekend to THIS FUCKIN HARD MATH PROJECT. (Breathes in and collapses)

Zeph: Hmmm... Spell check didn't say that was a run-on sentence... (Looks for periods and commas and finds none)

Jax: Not only that, but N/M Shin was a bridesmaid in her brother's wedding, pressure washed her driveway, went camping with her friend who had to go because her brother was in cub scouts and she needed a friend there, and had to help out all this week because her mother's first grade class was doing their rainforest plays and she had to paint the forest scenery behind them and turn a support beam into a kapok tree.

Zeph: (looks up at the last two paragraphs) ... Sweet Jesus...

Jax: So... is that it?

Zeph: Unless N/M Shin wants to tell them about her new CD.

N/M Shin: (Laying on the floor unconscious) Zzzzz...

Jax: Of course, we all know how much fun we have when she's unconscious...

Zeph: Sorry 'bout the long wait folks, here's the next chapter.

XXXXXXXXXX-EVANESCENCE!-XXXXXXXXXX

(Just so you know, this is gonna start out pretty silly)

(...As many chapters do...)

_The large ship stood firm on the shifting ocean tides as the sun disappeared on the horizon. Another day gone, another day closer to a death at sea. The captain leaned over the wheel of his ship, taking in the salty air that he only noticed when he was bored. The crew on the deck below him cheered and sang, celebrating their latest haul. _

_"Cap'n, why don't you come down and have a drink? We won't hit land for days, and we've got all the best food and booze, these are the days a pirate lives for!" _

_The captain turned to his first mate, taking in the grin plastered on his face. "I guess a break wouldn't hurt, but make sure there's a lookout in the crow's nest."_

_"Paranoid as always, but consider it done cap'n."_

_The captain climbed down the rungs of the main ladder after his first mate. Then, breaking through the sounds of the happy sea-men, he heard a familiar and dreadful voice._

_"Whatever, try shaking him."_

_The boat rocked violently back and forth, and the captain hung on to the rickety ladder for dear life. After a particularly hard quake, he was flung from the ladder like a rag doll. The captain sputtered as he hit the water with a splash. His feet felt as if they were incased in stone, and no matter how hard he struggled to stay afloat he still sank into the deep, cold water. Sharks began encircling him, and the largest of them lunged forward, its jaws open wide enough to swallow him whole. _

_"WAKEY, WAKEY, BOY WONDER!"_

Robin's eyes shot open, and the first thing he noticed was the primitive face of Mammoth.

"Mammoth, only you could shake my mighty ship," Robin groggily slurred his words, "Now get ready to walk the plank..."

"I think ya gave 'im too much uh that sleep stuff, Gizmo."

"No, I'll bet he's always like that."

"Whatever."

"Robin!" Cyborg's voice brought the boy wonder out of his daze.

"Cyborg, what's going on?" Robin struggled to get out of Mammoth's grip, but found he couldn't match the Neanderthal's muscle. He reached for a freeze capsule in his utility belt, but only grabbed air.

"What, where's my utility belt?"

"Jinx and these losers are working for Slade, they tricked us!"

Robin growled like a feral animal. "Slade..."

"They took your belt, and smart-ass over here disabled my kinetic functions!"

"Uhhh..."

"I can't move!"

"Not that this isn't fun in its own way," Jinx interrupted, "but Slade's paying us good money for this, and we need to get it done."

"What is he paying you to do, kill us?" Robin shouted, squirming in Mammoth's god-like grip.

"Oh no, all we have to do is bring all of you to one place, and he'll take care of the rest."

"Heh, well what're you gonna do with two people? Us splitting into teams really fucked up your plans, didn't it?" Cyborg sneered.

"Actually, all we had to do to fix that little mess was have Slade kidnap a little girl and make a brief appearance. We could never beat all of you at once, but that green loser you call a friend still trusts me." Jinx gave a seductive smile.

"Jinx'll just walk up, terrified and hurt. Tell salad-head that she knows where you are, and lead all of them right to Slade." Gizmo beamed with pride, "Just a little fix to the plan, thought up by yours truly."

"And thanks to our little vixen's phenomenal acting..." Mammoth sneered at Cyborg, and got a glare that could freeze a volcano. He didn't dare finish his sentence.

"Well, I'm off. Good thing I got pretty scrapped in that robot fight." Jinx turned to leave the room, and Cyborg noticed that she was covered in bruises and cuts. She was in pretty bad shape; too bad none of the HIVE members had healing powers.

"Make sure you get those two to Slade."

"Don't worry; these two won't be a problem." Mammoth popped his neck with a disgusting crunch.

The metal man couldn't help but feel sympathy wash over him. Some part of his soul still believed that Jinx wasn't doing this on purpose. But that small part was getting more worried about the rest of him by the second.

XXXXXXXX-Pie, pie in the sky...-XXXXXXX

Have you ever been doing something, and not realized what it was, how you were doing it, or how long it had been since you last stopped? How the entire world just faded as you were encompassed in deep thought, but your physical body still went on with a menial task? If you tripped, cut yourself, stubbed your toe, you didn't have a clue. Sometimes, our souls become so focused on our thoughts that they decide they don't need our bodies. But they always come back, and the realization that you had actually been doing something the entire time hits you in the face.

She had been enthralled in her thoughts for what seemed like eternity, but for some reason or another, she kept up the steady limp towards her goal. Jinx had no idea where the other Titans were, but maybe her powers would grant her some luck and she would find them.

_Can they even work that way? _She thought to herself, still limping along. _Well, I'll find out soon enough..._

Jinx laughed inwardly at herself. _If I haven't fount every little detail of my powers by now, I never will._

After Cyborg and the rest of the Titans took down Brother Blood, they assumed the HIVE would follow. What they didn't know was: a headmaster was expendable. Anyone with reasonable knowledge of fighting skills and military stratagem could train the school of young villains. They had gotten a new headmistress only a week after Brother Blood's death. To be honest, the school had never functioned better.

Another thing civilians and heroes didn't know of is that, while the HIVE academy is a school, it is also a well-paid and much-used corporation whose real name isn't even known by the graduates who work there.

Jinx always referred to it as _"Rent-an-Assassin."_

But she couldn't complain. She got paid more than Governor Schwarzenegger. (I spelled that right, on the first try!)

Out of the blue, Jinx said "Rent-an-Assassin" in her best Ah-nold voice; and was glad that she was alone and could make a fool of herself in private.

_Man, how long has it been since I talked? My throat feels so dry... _She shouldn't have left the watch Gizmo had built for her in her apartment, Jinx had no idea how long she had been walking, everything looked exactly the same; one big, gray, foggy war zone of a city.

_God, this used to be a city, full of people... This is all my...No! Don't think like that Jinx, this wasn't your fault; you're just doing your job! Besides, when people see a superhero in the city, they know its time to evacuate, none of them were caught in the blast. You're just looking for something to occupy your mind, just don't think of what might be under that rubble. Don't think of couples, huddled around each other, both determined to protect the other. Don't think of the small children, clinging to their parents, telling them to make everything okay. Don't think of the frantic people, searching for their loved ones even they know they can't be found alive. Just...don't..._

"Just... stop it..." She sniffed, and her back convulsed as she took a trembling breath. "Don't think...that way...anymore."

XXXXXXXX-Coco for KOOKOO puffs!--XXXXXXX

"So, we're sure this is the only way to find them?"

"Yes, now shut up for a sec," Hellion growled, "your breath alters the smells in the air."

Connie raised an eyebrow. She had about a million comebacks, but didn't want to hinder his progress. Hellion, and two different colored bloodhounds that need no introduction, had their noses to the ground, hoping to find the three remaining members of their team/family.

"Augh!" Beast Boy returned to his human form, "We'll never find'em like this! We've been sniffing around for hours!"

"Fine, let's just give up then!" Hannah yelled. "That'll solve everything!"

"Why do you two gotta be so negative all the time? We'll find 'em!" Darren tried his best to keep everyone positive, but hope was dwindling. It was easier to be hopeless than hopeful.

"Yeah listen to fuzz face over here, his head is half _full_ instead of half _empty_!" Hannah had a strange mix of comedy and a bad attitude.

"I think whatever Han was high off of just wore off. Let's see if any drug dealers survived the blast!"

"You're such an idiot!"

"Definitely wearing off, her insults are getting weaker by the second!"

"Listen you sonofa-"

"That's enough from _both_ of you! Stop before you say something you'll regret." Raven intervened before she could be rudely mentioned.

Hellion started laughing, returning to his human form. "You were about to call Mom a-"

"I think we should all shut up, and think for about two minutes before we say anything."

"Ooh, kitchen-fire here should join the peace corps." Hannah stuffed her hands into the front pocket of her hoody.

"It's Wildfire!" Darren and Connie growled at once.

"Whatever, she's _your_ girlfriend." Hannah began to walk off.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" Beast Boy stepped in her path, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I thought we were trying to find someone, not get a spot on _Family Feud_. I'm gonna look around."

"That is what caused our current problem in the first place; I believe that we should stay together for the remainder of the day." Starfire spoke up. Nobody had noticed that she was even there until her suggestion.

"Okay, let's _not_ split up, gang." Beast Boy smiled.

"Oh god, he's quoting old TV shows..."

Gar thought for a second. "Y'know, Han doesn't have a superhero name yet..."

Darren snorted, "Han's not a superhero, she's just a walking bad attitude with the power to make everyone around her depressed."

"That's enough out of you," Raven ran a hand through her violet hair, "you're being just as bad as she is."

"Ooh, the ultimate insult!" Darren gave a hurt look.

One glare from his mother had him with his hands folded behind his back, looking down at the asphalt.

"Both of you apologize..." there was a moment of silence as Hannah and Darren shared glares, "NOW!"

"Sorry Han."

"Sorry Darren."

"Now kiss and make up!" Everyone stared at Connie. "...Or not."

"So, about that name..."

XXXXXXXX-Having fun yet?-XXXXXXX

Jinx wasn't sure when she had first noticed the trail, but she had been following it for what seemed like ages. The longer she followed it, the more there was. In more droplets and soon in small puddles. There sure was a lot of it, whoever's it was.

Being an assassin, she was trained to follow trails of blood.

It seemed like a path of blood this long would have to be made by more than one person, but she was always surprised to see just how much blood one person could hold. She had seen large amounts of blood; not only in the line of duty, but also at the Red Cross, where she frequently donated blood. They could fill five Ziploc bags with the stuff!

_I sure am sweating a lot..._

Jinx could feel the collar of her outfit dripping perspiration down to her right shoulder, finally trickling down her slender hand and dripping from her fingertips to the ground. _But sweating is a sign that you're not dehydrated, so I guess that's a good thing..._

**Rrip!**

"Damnit!" A sharp piece of metal caught onto the thin material of Jinx's skirt, leaving a piece of black fabric hanging from the jagged wreckage, limp in the still air. The metal, which looked like it could have once been a curtain rod or a pipe, had also left her with a shallow cut on her right thigh. _I should've been more alert; I can't believe I just walked right into a pile of cement, with sharp, pointy things sticking out of it! _

Jinx put one hand to her temple and shook her head with chagrin. _Is it exhaustion? Am I nervous about the mission? Am I having trouble trusting Slade? Huh, maybe my conscience is catching up with me. Or could it be... no..._

_I shouldn't be this worried...about, _him

The thought of him made her shudder. How could she have sold him out like that? He had treated her with nothing but love and compassion, simply thinking about him made her lips curl into a smile and sent shivers down her spine.

It was a job; she had been doing it as long as she could remember. Her life with the HIVE was supposed to be simple: go see the customer, get your money, do what you were told. How did something so simple become so complicated? Her hands, her heart and, sometimes, even her teeth were stained with the blood of countless innocents. But this feeling, this slowly overpowering feeling that rushed through her at the thought of what she had just done, she had never felt it before in her life. No, that was a lie, she had felt it before. She knew exactly what it was, but it was a rare emotion for her...

...Uncontrollable guilt.

Jinx put her left hand on her opposite shoulder in order to comfort herself. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have acted so...so..._willing _to betrayCyborg, while inside she was ripping apart her own heart? Jinx knew she had a seductive smile, an enchanting voice, but sometimes she hated it. She could fool anyone, turn any man to mush with a word or a smirk, but that made it so easy for her to fool everyone. She began to wonder what in her life was real and what she had fabricated. But she knew one thing in life was real, what kept her from mistaking her life from her dreams.

Victor Stone, and the love that came with him, that was what kept her from breaking her fragile grip on reality. That was something she knew was real, always had been real. It was strong, unbreakable. Now the illustrious spellcaster knew what had truly been done. She had lost that thick, strong rope that had been her tie to reality.

What remained was a delicate thread, and it wouldn't be long before it snapped.

"And what'll happen to me once it does?" She thought aloud.

All this time she had been walking along, following the path of blood. It all seemed to blend together somehow, like every where she looked was the same. Every once and awhile, something would look familiar. She convinced herself it was because she had hung out in this part of town a lot, but something still felt strange. It all made sense soon enough.

**Shnick!**

Jinx cringed as something sliced about half an inch into her thigh, the same place she had ripped her skirt earlier. The exact same place on her leg, now that she thought about it. What had sliced into her leg was a sharp piece of metal protruding from a pile of wreckage.

With a piece of black cloth hanging limply from it in the still air.

**Drip.**

More sweat trickled from her fingers onto the ground. How could she be sweating this much? Even her endurance training at the beginning and end of each semester at the academy never had her perspiring this hard. _And since when does sweat only appear on one half of your body? _Jinx realized that her left hand still clutched her right shoulder in an act of comforting herself. She pulled back her hand and gazed at it.

It all made sense now. The same pile, same jagged pole, a path of blood that kept getting bigger, the dripping from her right arm.

She had been walking in circles for hours, following a trail of her own crimson blood.

The enchantress fell to her knees, weeping in desperation, fear, and all-consuming guilt.

XXXXX-So, was that predictable or were you surprised? - XXXXX

"So it's agreed; everybody will suggest a name and we'll go from there." Beast Boy was acting as chairman of the Think-up-a-Cool-Name-for-Hannah committee that he had just made up. Honestly, sometimes he acted like a four year old playing pretend.

"Can't I just think up a name on my own? C'mon!" Hannah wasn't amused in the least by her father's antics.

"No, but you can submit one and we'll get back to you." Darren's huge grin looked even goofier on his human face than his demon one.

If Hannah's glare at that exact moment had been on a demon face, he would probably have wet himself.

"Wh-what did you have in mind?" Hannah's polar-opposite brother tried his best to retain his composure. His dad always told him that his mom's glare was twice as frightening, then she would glare at his dad and he'd believe the shape shifter.

"Ooh-ooh," Beast Boy snuck up behind Hannah, her eyes following his every move, and put his hands on her shoulders, "how's about _Beast Girl_!"

"_How's about _not?" Hannah rolled her eyes.

"Awww, c'mon! Pleeease?" Her father turned into a squirrel and perched on her shoulder, being as adorable as possible.

"Bet I'm the only girl on earth whose dad has rabies." She gently brushed him off of her shoulder.

He touched ground and morphed back to being human. "Well that's not gonna work... Y'know, you used to love it when I did that."

Hannah shook her short tawny locks and rolled her eyes again. "I'm sure I did."

"Well, so far we've got Beast Girl. Any more suggestions? How 'bout you, Mom?" Darren somehow managed to be cheerful without being naïve or annoying. How he managed this was beyond anyone's comprehension.

"No thanks," Raven shook her head, keeping a smile on her lips, "I'm not very creative when it comes to names. You'll notice that I kept my real name as my superhero name, part of that was because I couldn't come up with a better one."

"So Beastgirl it is!" Gar seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"No, I have an idea! Shut up and let me call myself what I want!" Hannah was practically yelling in her father's ear. A piece of the street rose up, engulfed in emerald energy. Hannah's eyes grew wide and within seconds the street went back down where it belonged.

"Damn, damn, damn..." The youngest member of the group ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry."

Darren sat down, Indian style, in front of his sister. He looked like a preschooler waiting for story time. "No problem. Had an idea you wanted to share?"

Hannah gave a slight, almost invisible smile. "Yeah."

The scent of cinnamon filled the air as Hannah materialized some of her energy. Why it always smelled that way, Darren had no idea. The aroma always made him feel safe for some reason, he never questioned it.

"Azerath..." her green aura began to solidify into a smooth, long object. "Metrion..." a pure black string connected both ends of the object, bending it into a shallow U shape. "Zinthos..." A sharp, ebony arrow was knocked into the bow. As soon as the energy arrow had been secured, it fired. The magical weapon flew through the air so fast that within a few seconds it was out of sight.

Hannah held out her hand, and a whistling sound rushed over their heads as the arrow landed neatly in her palm and evaporated back into her body, as well as the bow.

She looked back at them as if it was nothing. "Artemis."

XXXXXXX-ARTEMIS HOMERIC HYMN-XXXXXXX

"I sing of Artemis, whose shafts are of gold, who cheers on the hounds, the pure maiden, shooter of stags, who delights in archery, own sister to Apollo with the golden sword. Over the shadowy hills and windy peaks she draws her golden bow, rejoicing in the chase, and sends out grievous shafts. The tops of the high mountains tremble and the tangled wood echoes awesomely with the outcry of beasts: earth quakes and the sea also where fishes shoal. But the goddess with a bold heart turns every way destroying the race of wild beasts: and when she is satisfied and has cheered her heart, this huntress who delights in arrows slackens her supple bow and goes to the great house of her dear brother Phoebus Apollo, to the rich land of Delphi there to order the lovely dance of the Muses and Graces. There she hangs up her curved bow and her arrows, and heads and leads the dances, gracefully arrayed, while all they utter their heavenly voice, singing how Leto bare children supreme among the immortals both in thought and in deed. Hail to you, children of Zeus and rich-haired Leto! And now I will remember you and another song also."

XXXXX-Did I write that? Yeah, I wish...-XXXXX

(Seriously though, I didn't write that hymn thing...)

"That's so cool! You just made that bow thingy and-" Connie's ramblings were interrupted as Hannah, Beast Boy, and Darren all turned their heads in the same direction.

"What is it?" They smelled something, she knew it.

They all took deep breaths, as if indulging themselves with the scent. Beast Boy spoke first.

"Fresh blood, and lots of it."

XXXXXX-Whew, it's 2:06 AM and I am TIRED!-XXXXXX

Hope all the Jinx-ness didn't weird people out. She a pretty cool character, and her thoughts just seemed to pour from my fingertips...

Big Thankies to Maggles for suggesting Artemis, I read about her and she's PERFECT for Hannah. Not only that but she won the vote so...yeah. I should be updating regularly now, summer's started and I've got nothing better to do. Not makin' any promises though...

Artemis is cool, she's, like, the goddess of a lot of stuff. You should do a google search and read up on her.

One more thing: I got the ULTIMATE Evanescence CD. It's called Origin, and it has 19 tracks of wonderful, beautiful, unhindered Evanescence. Amy Lee is a goddess in my book.

Had to get it off Amazon though, they only sold it in Europe... I wonder why...?

Well, until next time, this is Ninmenjushin, signing off.

And remember: Read, review, repeat!


	17. Blood and Magic

N/M Shin: Wow... (Stares at reviews) so...I guess ya'll aren't mad at me after all... hmm.

Jax: You've got some pretty great reviewers, N/M Shin...

N/M Shin: Yeah, I guess I do... (Bites into her subway sandwich)

Jax: What are you doing?

N/M Shin: Eatin' lunch (Chews loudly)

Jax: No, I mean you're supposed to put something in the parentheses like 'smiles' or 'hugs her reviewers' or something to show that you appreciate how your reviewers were glad that you're back instead of ready to kill you for not updating like you originally thought.

N/M Shin: (Takes another bite) You talk too much.

Zeph: Yeah Jax, (Bites into his Subway sandwich) lighten up.

Jax: (Looks from N/M shin to Zephyr) Did you get me a sub?

Zeph: (Sips his slushy) Nope.

Jax: Well why the hell not?

N/M Shin: You told us you already ate. We have no idea what you ate, but you said you already did. (Chews more softly)

Jax: (Grumbles)

N/M Shin: Anyway, we're back with a brand new chapter, and a new loyal reviewer! (Slurps her Dr. Pepper) This author's note goes out to **Death Jester**, who heroically braved reading every chapter of this story in one sitting! And reviewed every single one!

Zeph: Hurrah... (Unenthusiastic)

N/M Shin: For you, **Death Jester**, I have assembled a traditional Tameranean throknar, the crown of meat!

Jax: No you didn't.

N/M Shin: But I made it this-

Jax: No you didn't.

N/M Shin: Did you eat the-

Jax: No you didn't.

N/M Shin: You _ate_ the-

Jax: Yeah.

Zeph: I can't believe you ate the throknar! You pig! (Takes a huge bite out of his sub)

N/M Shin: Oh well, **Death Jester** you can just have the sub we got for Jax. (Hands **Death Jester** a sub)

Jax: Hey!

XXXXXXXX-Jax hates all of you-XXXXXXX

"Fresh what?" Wildfire gave an incredulous look and raised an eyebrow.

"Fresh blood, probably an injured animal." Hannah licked her lips involuntarily. Darren laid a hand her shoulder, squeezing lightly.

_Calm down._

_I'm fine._

_I'm just sayin', animals and demons are a dangerous combination._

She gently brushed his hand off. _...Thanks._

Darren sniffed again, his demon senses catching something the others couldn't sense. "I smell something else too... like...magic."

Connie walked closer to him. "You can smell magic?"

"So we have blood and we have magic," Starfire brought a finger to her chin. "A ritual perhaps?"

"Or a bleeding magician." Raven suggested.

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Jinx!"

"You're supposed to say that when you and someone else say something at the same time!" Wildfire gave a look like it was the dumbest thing ever said.

Raven put a hand to her face and shook her head. "Connie, Jinx is a woman." Star explained. "A very _bad_ woman, if I remember correctly."

"No, she's been with Cy this whole time! She's on our side, and she was with Rob and Cy the last time I saw her!" Beast Boy defended the spellcaster.

"Finally, something we can go on," Artemis was going to change into a wolf, but decided against the predator and instead chose a horse, "C'mon, that bloods coming from _somebody_ who needs it, and they aren't getting any back while we stand here."

The green changeling bowed. "You lead the way, oh son-of-mine."

Darren gulped. _If the blood got Hannah riled up, what'll it do to Hellion? What'll Hellion do to everyone else? A bleeding woman, even in human form that excites me. Wait, what? This demon thing is getting way out of hand. _He shuddered involuntarily

"C'mon kid, do that demon thing you do!" Beast Boy gave a fierce look and held his hands above his head to look like horns.

"Darren, are you okay?" He jolted when Connie's hand touched his shoulder.

It took a moment for his heart to stop pounding. "Yeah, I guess I'm just..."

"I'll bet the transformation wears him out," Hannah, who was human again, gave her brother a knowing glance, "why don't you lead, Dad."

Beast Boy shrugged. "Fine with me. Let's go team!" He turned into a husky and bounded away towards the scent.

The girls took to the sky. Hannah turned into a horse again and Darren scrambled onto her back.

_Good choice._

_What?_

_The horse, it was a good choice._

_Oh, yeah, the herbivore._

_...Thanks back there, I just..._

_I know. Now we're even._

_...Should we be worried?_

_I'm...not sure..._

XXXXXXX-Actually, Jax doesn't hate Maggles-XXXXXXX

The edges of Jinx's vision began fading to black. She was lying on the hard, cold ground, deciding it was useless to try and stand. Jinx had been walking in circles for hours, bleeding profusely the entire time; she had lost too much blood _not_ to die.

Jinx was on her stomach, her hands at her sides. She had her face turned to her left, opposite the pile of rubble that she had previously run into. Her thoughts started becoming vague, not as much words as they were feelings. Guilt, she knew that was one of them. Desperation, that was why tears streamed down her face, she was definitely feeling that.

She wasn't feeling pain as much as she had before. This thought was pleasing, but paled in comparison to her other feelings. They were like a black ocean, thick and desolate, the bottom an abyss that she couldn't see or feel. She stood in the middle of the ocean, treading water and bracing herself every time a wave came. The feelings did come like waves, and even though they faded after awhile, the knowledge that they would come back always haunted her.

So there she lay, waiting to die.

**Ch-ch-chack, ch-ch-chack, ch-ch-chack!**

At first, Jinx thought the sound was her own fading heartbeat; but instead of fading out, the sound kept getting louder, nearer. She could hear voices, some familiar, some not. Those that did sound familiar, however, she couldn't place.

"I see someone!" an unfamiliar voice.

"Yeah, I see them too!" Somewhat familiar.

A green blur materialized into her sight, followed closely by a golden one.

Oh, great, there would be strangers watching her die. Why couldn't she just die in peace? Why wouldn't these feelings and strangers just let her fade away? Jinx had screwed her life beyond recognition; death seemed like a golden opportunity at the moment.

But if it was such a great opportunity, why hadn't her soul drifted away? Did she really want to die? Did she really believe that it was the only option? No, that was just the easy way out.

And since when had she taken the easy way out?

Cyborg, he was in trouble. It was all her fault and Jinx knew it, she had to do something. The easy way out wouldn't help Vic, if she wanted the guilt to pass, she would have to fix her mistake; but how?

She was dying.

The final line that separated the sorceress from a black abyss snapped, and she tumbled into darkness.

XXXXXX-He finds her war strategies intriguing-XXXXXX

"This is humiliating."

Robin growled as Mammoth and his pint-sized partner carried them off to where their employer was waiting. Robin dangled from Mammoth's caveman hands in a hog tied position. He had the Boy Wonder's wrists together in one hand and his ankles in the other, leaving Robin to dangle in front his abdomen facing the ground. His captor gave a deep laugh.

"It ain't exactly supposed to be your shining moment anyway, bird boy,"

"Yeah," Gizmo, now much taller, was walking beside his teammate. Cyborg was on a rolling cart of sorts, which was tethered to Gizmo's backpack. "At least you can twitch your legs or flail around a little." Gizmo was referring to the fact that Cyborg was unable to move. Said robot growled.

Mammoth laughed again. "Yeah, you can wet yourself too."

Gizmo erupted in laughter.

"Well, here's your stop." Mammoth dropped Robin unceremoniously on the hard stone floor, while Gizmo placed his robotic teammate on the ground next to him. Robin landed hard on his stomach, and thanked the gods that be he didn't bite his tongue off when his chin collided with the concrete. They were in a room of sorts with three gray walls; only one way out.

As soon as he could move Robin made a break for Mammoth, bird-a-rang drawn. The behemoth chuckled and pressed a button on the wall, causing a red wall of pulsating energy to close them off from their escape. Robin tried in vain to stop himself as he rammed into the wall. The second he touched it, liquid fire burned in his veins and he could feel his limbs going numb. He screamed out in surprise and pain until he fell back to the ground.

Robin laid there on his back for a few seconds, catching his breath and twitching a few times.

"Not the smartest bird in the flock, is he?"

Cyborg glared as they laughed all the way down the hallway and disappeared around a corner. Neither spoke until the duo's hateful voices had faded away and they were left in silence.

"Vic?" Robin was still breathing heavily.

"Yeah man?"

"Don't touch that wall."

XXXXXX-He seems to forget that she kicked his ass-XXXXXX

_Ugh, my head, it feels so...heavy..._

_What's that smell? Is that...Yeah, I think it is..._

_Cinnamon?_

"I think she's coming to."

Jinx's eyes fluttered open to see the face of a young girl looking down at her. The girl's blonde hair teased at the sides of her face, too short to hang much lower. Jinx realized that her head was resting in the girl's lap, and sat up slowly. She moaned, rubbing her eyes with her thumb and forefinger.

"Are you alright? What happened?" The girl didn't _look_ as concerned as she _sounded_.

Jinx was still a bit disoriented. "...Blood, I...I lost...my rope."

"Rope?"

"It's a strong rope... All I've got is...my thread."

Hannah raised an eyebrow. The rest of the group noticed that the trail of blood didn't end at Jinx, and were following it to its source. Hannah was left to heal the sorceress and make sure she didn't go anywhere.

She had to admit, she liked the older woman's style. Her black outfit contrasted beautifully with her pink hair, which was up in a high ponytail. Jinx's eyes matched her hair, the pupils slanted, like a cat's.

"Don't worry, we'll help you find your...uh, rope."

"The others, have to find...them."

"My friends are following their trail, don't worry, they'll be here soon."

"Th-their trail...no, my trail of...blood." Her head shot up. "The blood!"

Jinx quickly and frantically ran her hands all over her body, staring at her hands every time they came up dry. "W-was it a dream?"

Hannah sighed. "More like a nightmare."

XXXXXX-This just in, Jax hates _all_ of you-XXXXXX

N/M Shin: Sorry it's so short, but I'm going to South Carolina for a week at the beach and I wanted to update before I left. I get to bring a friend, yay! Speaking of which, I have a new beta-reader, who is easy to reach and who I know in real life.

Jax: Are me and Zephyr going to the beach?

N/M Shin: Yeah...I guess.

Zephyr: But I burn easily!

N/M Shin: Then stay inside, I don't care! Just don't drink all the coke, okay!

Danielle: I'm goin' to the beach!

N/M Shin: No more popsicles for you.

Danielle: Nanananana Nanananana, Batman!

Jax: Shut up or I'll eat your new cell phone!

N/M Shin: Jax, put the phone down! Danielle, put the machete down!

Zephyr: I like machetes.

N/M Shin: So, I'll be back next week. Until then, read, review, repeat!


End file.
